Digital signatures and electronic signatures

Gone are the days of handwritten signatures. The world of signatures are going digital. But what is the difference between signing contracts with a digital signature or an electronic signature?
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Digital signatures and electronic signatures

Gone are the days of handwritten signatures. The world of signatures are going digital. But what is the difference between signing contracts with a digital signature or an electronic signature?

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What is the difference
between digital signature and electronic signature?

Digital signatures and electronic signatures are sometimes used interchangeably, which is a common mistake. Think of digital signatures as the technique by which the signature is applied and electronic signatures as the type of signature.
Most electronic signatures today are done using a digital signature, but they don’t have to be. For example, writing your signature on a computer with a mouse or stylus is an electronic signature, but not a digital one. It is like how signing with an ink pen on paper and signing with chalk on a blackboard are both handwritten signatures, but most likely only the first will have legal standing as a “written signature”.

So what are digital signatures? A digital signature is a mathematical technique used to guarantee the authorship and integrity of a message or piece of data. Any kind of data. For us it’s contracts, but it could just as well be an email or a bank transaction.

So how is this actually done? The de facto standard for creating and validating digital signatures is called Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). In PKI a private key is used to sign the message and a public key is used to validate the signature. A certificate issued by a trusted third party, called a Certificate Authority (CA), is used as proof that the holder of the private key is who they say they are.

Six reasons why everybody
prefers digital signatures over
electronic signatures

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Safe and secure

Even if electronic signatures are safe and secure, digital signatures are the safest and most secure way of signing in a digital world.

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Globally accepted

Even if electronic signatures are safe and secure, digital signatures are the safest and most secure way of signing in a digital world.

Smart_SafeAndSecure_Plus_Salmon

Easiest way to sign

Even if electronic signatures are safe and secure, digital signatures are the safest and most secure way of signing in a digital world.

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Uniquely yours

Even if electronic signatures are safe and secure, digital signatures are the safest and most secure way of signing in a digital world.

Security_Resources_Plus_Salmon

Sign anywhere

Even if electronic signatures are safe and secure, digital signatures are the safest and most secure way of signing in a digital world.

Security_TwoStepAuth_Plus_Salmon

Tamper proof

Even if electronic signatures are safe and secure, digital signatures are the safest and most secure way of signing in a digital world.

Agree faster with digital signatures or electronic signatures

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Digital signature and electronic signature FAQs:

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