What is E-Signature?

Have you ever stuck in the situation like, you have to sign a very important document urgently but because of some reasons document is not available physically at your place? That’s where “E-Signatures” comes for your help! You can sign from anywhere any time if you use e-signatures. There are certain types of e-signatures which you can use to sign your documents which are most secured and accepted all over India.

Types of eSignatures

Digital Signatures certificates:

It is a digital certificate issued by a licensed Certifying Authorities (CA’s) of India. Digital Signature Certificates issued by Certifying Authorities are divided in classes according to their uses. We required Class 3 Individual or Organization sign Digital Signature Certificate to sign documents. These digital Signature Certificate comes with highly secured cryptographic USB Token like Hyp2003, WD proxkey etc. You can read our other blog where we have explained in detail about signing PDF Documents with Digital signature USB Token.

Biometric/Aadhar Based E-Signatures:

A licensed Certifying Authorities can generate e-signature of any person who have Aadhar card in INDIA using his/her data stored in UIDAI(Unique Identification Authority of India). We can generate Aadhar E-Sign by using trusted biometric devices or by OTP process. If we use biometric method user should have trusted biometric devices like Mantra, Morpho, Startek etc. Or user can generate a OTP to his registered mobile number/Email ID to generate Aadhar esign. It is most trusted & secured way to generate esign, because here esign is generating directly using UIDAI data. Hence, it is accepted all over INDIA.

Simple Electronic Signatures:

It includes simple scanned images of your handwritten signatures. You can easily scan and save image of your handwritten signature and apply it any document online. You can visit our website signsecure.in if you don’t have any facility to add your handwritten signature on your documents. There are various options which you can use to sign your documents.

Importance of eSignatures

• Ease in Signing: We can sign any document from anywhere with extremely ease using E-Signatures.
• Sharing/Storing Documents: We can easily share or store any document online without downloading it for signing manually.
• Complete Paperless: Now days it is very big task to store all important documents. We can easily store our documents online and authenticate it with e-signatures to save trees & go paperless.
• Time Saver: It might take couple of hours to sign bulk documents with old fashion handwritten signature but with e-sign you can sign lakhs of documents in a minute.
• Most Secured & trusted: E-Signatures are most secured & trusted all over India because it are generated by government authorities like AUDAI & licensed Certifying authorities.

In this blog we are going to learn how e-sign evolved, how they work, their benefits, legal acceptance and what is the future of e-sign.

Evolution of Signatures

• Signatures in ancient times – Signatures have changed a lot in centuries. Ancient peoples were using unique seals as signature for long time. Then after long long time we started using pens.
• From Ancient Seals to Pen – Earlier we used to sign every document with pen. Comparatively it was better than signatures seals but still there was scope to evolve.
• Pen To E-Sign – Now days we are using E-Signature which are most trusted, secures, fast & accepted all over world.

Legal Recognition

Electronic signatures are legally recognized in India and are provided for in the Information Technology Act, 2000 (“ITA”), the Indian Contract Act of 1872 (“ICA”) and the Electronic Signature or Electronic Authentication Technique and Procedure Rules, 2015 (“ESEATPR”). Also trusted in USA with laws like ESIGN Act and eIDAS in the EU.

How E-Sign Works ?

• Basic – E-signatures use a digital tool to verify the signer & ensures that signed documents will not get tempered after signing.
• Keep Signature Safe : Security is very big task for e-signature. Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a advance encryption method which ensures that no one can tempered e-sign.

Benefits of eSignatures

• Convenience & Speed – Want to sign document urgently? Esign helps you to sign and share any document instantly, no matter where you are.
• Money Saver – No need to buy papers, ink or paying for postages. eSignature cuts down all those cost for you.
• Eco-friendly – Using E-Signatures we use less papers which is great for our environment. Also going digital is helping business to go eco-friendly.
• Best for Compliance & Tracking – As compare to handwritten signatures, e-signatures generates with more specific details like date & time of signing, place of signing, reason of signing etc. which is great for transparency and accountability.

Myths about eSignatures

• Security Threat – Some (mostly people who are not aware with latest technologies) worry’s about security of eSignatures. But with the modern encryption and authentication they are too much safer than handwritten signatures.
• Legal Concerns – Some people thinks that eSignatures not legally valid or accepted. But as per new law’s eSignature is accepted in all most all the countries.
• Accessibility Issues – It is not necessary to have computer or laptop to apply eSignature on documents. We can even apply eSignature on documents using mobile phone.

Legal framework & Compliance

• Global Acceptance – like India most of countries have laws for eSignatures which ensures that eSignature is recognized & enforceable worldwide.
• Meeting Legal Requirements – Without showing signers intent & consent signature can’t be validated.
• Industry Standards – Industries like Finance, Education, Healthcare, real Estates etc have extra rules which ensures eSignature protects data and privacy.

Future Of eSignatures

• Increased Adoption: As more businesses and individuals recognize the convenience and efficiency of eSignatures, their usage is likely to grow across various sectors and industries. This trend could be accelerated by the ongoing digitization of processes and the shift towards remote work.
• Technological Advancements: Expect to see advancements in eSignature technology, such as improved security features, enhanced user experience, and integration with other digital tools and platforms. Artificial intelligence and blockchain technology might also play a role in making eSignatures even more secure and tamper-proof.
• Regulatory Changes: Governments around the world are continually updating regulations related to electronic signatures and digital transactions. The future may bring further standardization and clarification of these regulations, potentially making cross-border transactions easier and more secure.
• Mobile Integration: With the increasing use of smartphones and tablets, eSignature solutions optimized for mobile devices are likely to become more prevalent. This could include features like biometric authentication (such as fingerprint or facial recognition) to enhance security and user experience.
• Integration with Emerging Technologies: As emerging technologies like Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented reality (AR) become more mainstream, eSignature solutions may integrate with these technologies to enable new use cases. For example, IoT devices could trigger eSignatures automatically as part of a larger workflow, while AR could provide a more immersive signing experience.
• Environmental Impact: The environmental benefits of eSignatures, such as reduced paper usage and carbon footprint, are likely to become more significant considerations for businesses and individuals. As sustainability becomes a more prominent concern, the demand for eco-friendly solutions like eSignatures may increase.

Overall, the future of eSignatures appears to be one of continued growth, innovation, and integration into our increasingly digital world.

Challenges and Limitations

Tech Hurdles

Sometimes it is little tricky to integrate eSignature services with your existing systems like ERP, CRM, Websites or Web Application. But we can help you to easily integrate eSignature services with your existing software with extreme ease. Contact us for more details.

Resistance to Change

People can be resistant to new technologies. Effective change management and showcasing the benefits can help overcome this.

Fraud and Tampering Concerns

Ongoing advancements in security technology are vital to addressing these issues.

Key Takeaways

eSignatures are a modern solution to signing documents, offering efficiency, security, and environmental benefits. As digital transformation continues, eSignatures will play a key role in innovation and operational excellence The future of document signing is digital, and eSignatures are leading the way. Embracing this technology is essential for staying competitive in our digital world.