Have you found yourself trying to carry on life as usual, but wondering how to do something as simple as signing a document while socially distancing or even self-isolating? Thankfully, nowadays you can sign even the most important legal documents with the click of a button.

The answer is eSignatures.

What is an eSignature

An eSignature uses specialized software to allow you to create a signature to place on whatever documents you might need. This lets you finish an application, sign a will, and whatever else you require with the click of a button.

Are they safe and secure?

A common concern is whether eSignatures are legally binding, and how secure they are. In terms of it being legally binding, generally yes, eSignatures are considered binding. However, in regulated and sensitive industries, not all eSignatures are accepted. This is because some eSignatures focus on speed and simplicity but lack important security measures to ensure the authenticity of the signature.

To ensure authenticity, a common framework was developed for validating eSignatures called Digital Signatures. Digital Signature software actually imprints a document with a lot more than just an image that looks like your signature. Digital Signatures actually encode a document with a kind of digital fingerprint called a hash. What’s more, any changes to a document after it has been signed actually disrupts this hash, thus the signature is invalidated by any changes.

As a result, signatures from Digital Signature software are extremely secure and trustworthy and are still very simple to use. If someone asks you for an eSignature and you’re unsure if it’s secure, just search the provider (such as DocuSign or AdobeSign) on Google, check their website and make sure they use a Digital Signature framework.

Just another tool to help you carry on during this pandemic, and beyond.