Learn more about digital signatures, what information they include, and their legality and trustworthiness.
Learn more about digital signatures, what information they include, and their legality and trustworthiness.
Electronic document signing has gained so much traction and is now the new norm. Whether it’s contracts, permission slips, or orders, today, you can sign almost anything electronically. All this considered, you’re probably wondering what digital signatures are, what makes them unique, and why they’re important. This article will answer those questions, so don’t worry; we’ve got you covered!
What Is a Digital Signature?
When we talk about a digital signature, we mean an advanced type of electronic signature that comes with enhanced security features that make it difficult to forge or manipulate. Once you’ve signed with a digital signature, a unique number, or digital fingerprint, is generated through a cryptographic process. This is issued by an official authority with the purpose of guaranteeing the authenticity of the signee and their signature. This information can be validated using most common PDF readers, bringing electronic signing closer to a “real” signature than ever before.
What Information Should a Digital Signature Contain?
Different countries have different requirements for the type of data that digital signatures must have. But in general, digital signatures are embedded with certain information that helps identify the signee. With Smallpdf’s eSign, for example, the certification includes the signee’s name and identity information and a Long Term Validity (LTV) timestamp that stores the date and time of the signature.
Why Are Digital Signatures Important?
Digital signatures are the most secure form of electronic signatures and the most trustworthy, making them perfect for legal documents and contracts. The certification and authenticity information stored within a digital signature is very difficult to manipulate or forge. If any changes are made to a digitally signed document, the validation of the signature will fail, rendering the signature void. This way, you don’t have to worry about anyone manipulating a contract or other legally binding documents after signing.
It’s still important to keep your country’s specific requirements in mind when it comes to the legality of digital signatures. If you’d like to explore the legality topic in more detail, check out our article on the trustworthiness of digital signatures here.
If you’re curious about creating your own digital signature or are interested in trying out a digital signing solution, then check out Smallpdf eSign. The tool lets you create your own electronic and digital signatures as well as request signatures from other parties. You can even sign up for a 7-day free trial to unlock premium features, including timeline activity management, unlimited signees, and LTV timestamping.
