To provide an even stronger probative value than the above described advanced electronic signature, some countries like member states of the European Union or Switzerland introduced the qualified electronic signature. In the event that the accompanying data has been changed, the signature must be invalidated Įlectronic signatures may be created with increasing levels of security, with each having its own set of requirements and means of creation on various levels that prove the validity of the signature.The signature must be capable of identifying if its accompanying data has been tampered with after the message was signed.The signatory must have sole control of the private key that was used to create the electronic signature.The signatory can be uniquely identified and linked to the signature.A common denominator in most countries is the level of an advanced electronic signature requiring that: 3 Technological implementations (underlying technology)Īn electronic signature is intended to provide a secure and accurate identification method for the signatory to provide a seamless transaction.ĭefinitions of electronic signatures vary depending on the applicable jurisdiction.The concept itself is not new, with common law jurisdictions having recognized telegraph signatures as far back as the mid-19th century and faxed signatures since the 1980s. Standardization agencies like NIST or ETSI provide standards for their implementation (e.g., NIST-DSS, XAdES or PAdES). While an electronic signature can be as simple as a name entered in an electronic document, digital signatures are increasingly used in e-commerce and in regulatory filings to implement electronic signatures in a cryptographically protected way.

Įlectronic signatures are a legal concept distinct from digital signatures, a cryptographic mechanism often used to implement electronic signatures. This type of signature has the same legal standing as a handwritten signature as long as it adheres to the requirements of the specific regulation under which it was created (e.g., eIDAS in the European Union, NIST-DSS in the USA or ZertES in Switzerland). Data in electronic form, which is logically associated with other data in electronic formĪn electronic signature, or e-signature, is data that is logically associated with other data and which is used by the signatory to sign the associated data.

Electronic signature pad for computer