Electronic documents in the widest variety of formats (DOC, PDF, and more) are already part of the day-to-day routine at companies, government agencies and with liberal professionals.
It is undeniable that it has become more practical, faster and economic to send a service provider contract or purchase order by e-mail rather than waiting several days until a document reaches its destination by traditional mail. The productivity and savings created are unquestionable.
Nevertheless, along with this practice comes the need to verify authenticity and authorship. It is within this context that electronic and digital signatures appear.
Electronic signature
These are ways of identifying people, validating electronic documents, controlling access and approving information in the digital world. Speaking very simply, this is how you say that you are you in the digital!
There are different types of electronic signatures, ranging from simple numeric passwords to complex controls combining alphanumeric passwords and biometric readings. Generally speaking, they are requested to gain access to data and documents through digital media or to gain access to restricted environments. These days, electronic signatures are also being required to execute a variety of everyday operations, such as accessing bank websites, making purchases, accessing content and going on social networks.
Practicality and savings
As we mentioned, electronic signatures do more than controlling access; they streamline business transactions and result in time savings and security. Physical collection of signatures is no longer required for contracts and other types of documents. By using authenticity verification solutions such as ClickSign, the process becomes more practicality and security. We already covered this topic on the blog in this post (SoftExpert Document and ClickSign)
Using different sets of information, such as the computer’s IP address, e-mail, text messages or even geolocation, these authenticity systems enable verification of the signatory’s identity and the integrity of the document signed.
Digital Signature
A digital signature is also a type of electronic signature, but with a much higher level of security. Using complex algorithms and a set of private and public keys, the document is encrypted before being sent.
To digitally sign a document, you need to use a Digital Certificate issued by a Certifying Authority, such as Certisign. The certificate is also an electronic document that can be stored on your computer, on a thumb drive or on mobile apps, and will be requested to certify the authenticity of your digital signature.
A digital signature should have the following properties:
- Authenticity: the person receiving the document should be able to confirm that the signature is actually the signatory’s;
- Integrity: if the document were altered, the signature should no longer correspond to it;
- Irrevocability: the person issuing the document is unable to deny its authenticity.
Considering this more enhanced level of security, it is indicated for signature of documents with more risk or that may be kept for long periods.
Using tools such as SoftExpert Document, a digital signature stamp can be added to PDF files. This means that if the file is printed, it will show data related to the signature.
Conclusion
As we saw in this article, Electronic Signature is a broad concept that covers a range of identification and authentication methods, including the Digital Signature. The use of one signature method or another will depend on the degree of security needed for the purpose in question.
Now that you know a bit more about this topic, please visit our website and learn a bit more about SoftExpert Document, which is fully compatible with digital certificates and with electronic signatures.
