InfoPath Dev

We are using Digital Signatures on multiple InfoPath forms and have run into an issue when the certificate used to sign forms has expired. On each of these forms we are signing sections of the forms and displaying the signatures within the section so that when the form is opened other users can easily see who has already signed. However, once the certificate that was used to sign the section expires the signature displays in red as invalid due to the expiration. Our Certificate server is configured to auto-renew our certificates but it appears that what actually happens is that a new certificate is issued as opposed to truly renewing the old one in the sense of extending the expiration date. Below is an example of the situation.

(1) User A opens the form and signs with a valid certificate that expires in one week.

(2) User B opens the form the day after User A signed and can easily see that it was signed by User A the day before.

(3) User B goes back into the form two weeks later to print a copy for audit purposes (signature is very important here) and since the certificate that User A used is now expired the signature no longer appears as valid even though it was perfectly valid when User A used it to sign the form.

In this situation we are left with no way to get a printout showing the signature. Does anyone have any suggestions? Please don't tell me this is by design... In comparing this to signing an actual paper document it would be like signing in disappearing ink in that once my pen ran out of ink (i.e. expired) all of my previous signatures would go away.

Thanks,
Shawn

If you click on the red signature it should state specifically why it was showing red (i.e. expiration only). So electronically you can still verify the sig and the ink technically didn't disappear but is just qualified.

However, you have a good bug in the sense that when printing it shows fully invalid instead of something more granular like "Certificate valid, but expired." You should file this as a bug with MSFT.

Note the reason why this is possible at all is that in the electronic world this is a safeguard to ensure allow a bogus certificate to be revoked or expired, and other such corner but critical cases.

Hi, is there any way to overcome this issue?