Electronic Signatures

Overview#

Electronic Signatures (e-signature), refers to data in electronic form, which is logically associated with other data in electronic form and which is used by the signatory to sign.

Electronic Signatures are a legal concept distinct from Digital Signatures. Although Digital Signatures are often used to implement Electronic Signatures.

Electronic Signatures type of signature provides the same legal standing as a handwritten signature as long as it adheres to the requirements of the specific regulation it was created under (e.g., eIDAS in the European Union, NIST-DSS in the USA or ZertES in Switzerland).

Electronic Signatures 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. Standardization agencies like NIST or ETSI provide standards for their implementation (e.g., NIST-DSS, XAdES or PAdES).[4][6] 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.

Some other Electronic Signatures Guidance

Qualified Electronic Signature#

A Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) is an Electronic Signatures that is compliant to European Union Regulation No 910/2014 (eIDAS Regulation) for electronic transactions within the internal European Union market].

More Information#

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