A computer divides a target electronic document into a plurality of document segments. Then, the computer generates a signature (s, t) that includes a set of two values having a signature value s forming a signature on the electronic document and a deletion signature value t used for deletion, the signature value s which serves as a body of the signature being formed by a superposition of signature information on the individual document segments. Then, in a case where one of the plurality of document segments obtained by the division is to be extracted, the computer superimposes deletion information of a document segment to be deleted on the deletion signature value t to generate a new signature value t′, and produces an updated signature (s, t′).