Attesting

Attesting is the act of witnessing and certifying the authenticity or execution of a document or statement. In legal and civil contexts, attestation is performed by an authorized person, such as a notary public, commissioner of oaths, or other designated official, who signs to confirm that the document was executed in their presence or that a signature belongs to the named individual. Attestation can refer to signature attestation (certifying that a signature is genuine or that a signer appeared before the attestor) and document attestation (verifying the document’s validity).

A typical attestation includes the attestant’s name, the date, the place, the capacity of the attestor, and often the signer’s identity or appearance. The attestor may apply a seal, stamp, or other mark to indicate formal verification. Attestation is commonly required for legal documents such as wills, contracts, deeds, and educational or immigration records, where the validity of signatures and execution must be demonstrated.

Attestation versus authentication: attestation confirms that a document was properly executed and that the signature or appearance occurred as stated, whereas authentication is a broader process of verifying identity, origin, or genuineness of a document or signature.

Digital attestation: in information security, attestation describes a mechanism by which a system proves to a verifier that its software and hardware configuration conforms to a trusted baseline. This often involves cryptographic measurements, an attestation report, and verification by a trusted authority. Remote attestation is common in cloud, virtualization, and hardware security contexts.

Limitations and scope: attestation provides evidentiary value about status at a specific time but does not guarantee content accuracy or ongoing integrity; requirements and terminology vary by jurisdiction and context.