

Qualified electronic signatures go one step further. With a digital certificate issued by the CA these conditions are met. The advanced electronic signature must be uniquely linked to the identification of the signer, must be created in such a way that the signer can maintain control and all signed data must be non-forgeable.
#Free digital signature software verification#
For this signature, it is required to complete additional verification steps. This form does not necessarily require strict authentication of the signatory.įor valuable documents, it is recommended to use at least the advanced electronic signature. eIDAS, artikel 3, defines it as “data in electronic form which is attached to or logically associated with other data in electronic form and which is used by the signatory to sign ”. The SES is the simplest form of an electronic signature. The requirements of each level build upon the requirements of the level below it. These three levels are categorized from least to most stringent. As a rule, there are three types of digital signatures accepted by the eIDAS. In Europe, the use of digital signatures is regulated in the European eIDAS Regulation of 2014. This is because the digital signature offers authenticity and integrity that can stand up in a possible court case while in some countries and states an electronic signature won’t. Requirements of an Electronic and Digital Signature according to eIDASĪlthough the use of an electronic signature is also approved in many cases, various regulations and states require the (PKI-based) digital signature over the electronic signature. A digital signature ensures that the signed document is authentic, the signature comes from a verified source and that the document has not been tampered with since it was signed. This means it comes with encryption standards.īecause a document is digitally signed with the private key of the signer, the content of the document and the identity of the signer are bound together. A third party, such as a trusted certificate authority, is responsible for verifying the identity of the signer and links the identity to a PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) based (digital) certificate. Where the electronic signature is seen more as a collective name and has a lower reliability level, a digital signature is a form of electronic signature with an often higher reliability level.Ī digital signature uses a specific technical implementation that ensures that the identity of the signer is linked to the document that is signed. Digital Signature v.s Electronic SignatureĪlthough the terms ‘electronic signature’ and ‘digital signature’ are often used interchangeably, the two are not the same. Reasons enough to switch to the digital signature. In addition, operational costs and the carbon footprint will be reduced. At the same time, digital signing makes the complete digitalisation of business processes possible, a lot of time is saved and the efficiency within an organization will increase. With electronic and digital signing, the disadvantages of printing, faxing, mailing, copying, scanning and archiving documents in paper form, among others, are eliminated. The digital signature offers the solution for this. Therefore, a secure option is better recommended when you are in a highly regulated sector that deals with personal and/or private information. However, the reliability level of this form is low. For example, an image of a handwritten signature also counts as an electronic signature. Please note that the term “electronic signature” does not guarantee that the signer of a document has been validated.


Like a wet signature, with an electronic signature, the intention of the signer is recorded and the signer is bound by the terms of the signed document. DocuSign defines electronic signature as a collective term for various methods of signing documents. When a signature is required, but it is not signed with a pen on paper, we speak of an electronic signature. Therefore, it is not very surprising that we are increasingly shifting from the ‘wet’ signature to the electronic and digital signature.

As a result, it can take several days before you receive a signed document or contract back and you’d rather not wait for that. However, those who have to sign are often not at the same location. Within an organization, you generally have to deal with various contracts and documents that need to be signed. The Electronic and Digital Signature What Does It Mean?
