What is a digital signature?

Digital Signatures are fundamentally different and more secure than standard e-signatures.

Digital signature technology has been used for decades, which means it is highly standardized and accepted. A digital signature essentially links a “fingerprint” of the document at the time of signing with an identity credential (a digital certificate), and the result is permanently embedded into the document.

A digital signature proves integrity by clearly showing when a document has been changed or tampered with. The signature also uniquely identifies the signer and can provide additional information about the time of signature, providing significant non-repudiation.

Because digital signatures travel with the document and are based on industry and international standards, they can be verified independently without requiring the document to check back with a server. Digital signatures are also more widely accepted internationally than electronic signatures.