An electronic signature, or simple e-signed signature, refers to an electronic data in digital form, which consists of one or more specific elements and which is authorized by the signer to sign electronically. The elements of the signature may vary but typically it includes the name of the signer, the date, the signature of the author, the secret message or of secret code used to encrypt the signing key, and the computer signature. All these elements are encrypted to make the signature more safe and confidential. With the increase in electronic transactions of sensitive information, the use of the Firma electrónica has gained popularity among many people. In fact, in some cases, laws regulating business activities have been amended to include a system of electronic signature as part of the legal documents of companies. Digital signatures are very useful because they can help prevent hacking and fraud, and because they can be copied by another person to create a fake version of the original signature.
There are two main uses of the electronic signature. The first is in the business industry. Many organisations now require their employees to input their financial transactions, such as salaries, into a secure database, using a password given by the employer. The second use is for legal purposes, where an organisation can authenticate the legal terms of a contract, such as a contract drawn up between two independent parties. The Certificado digital makes this process very efficient and verifiable and prevents possible fraud. A checklist has to be followed to make sure that the electronic signature is correctly completed and entered in the database.
One of the biggest disadvantages of the electronic signature is that in order for it to be correctly implemented, a complete and accurate copy of all the information needed has to be hand-written. This means that there are two copies of every legal document - a hard-copy one and a digital one, and this means that the hard-copy needs to be preserved indefinitely while the digital one can be easily wiped on a computer and stored on a USB drive. Even then, there are chances that the electronic signature might be rendered invalid because of one of the differences between the original computer signature and a thumb impression or signatures made with a pen or a pencil. Because of these risks, nowadays most people opt for a handwritten signature so that the risk of erasing the electronic signature is significantly reduced.
Another disadvantage of the electronic signature is that it cannot be used to legally bind people like a lawsuit or a will. For example, should someone go missing, their family or friends cannot legally hold a judgment for them until they have been found. With electronic signatures however, once the person's identity is established, this means that the digital signature is legally binding, and if someone does try to steal his or her identity, it will be very difficult for that person to prove that the electronic signature was actually typed in on the computer. This means that the document would be completely foolproof against any attempt to commit forgery or fraud. Get more details about a signature at https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_signature.
Some businesses, particularly in the service sector, have been known to suffer from the lack of trust between the customer and the service provider. Because of this, many businesses have been forced to implement measures that would ensure that the customer's electronic signature is truly who they say it is. These businesses include implementing an electronic signature capture system that captures a user's thumb impression during a transaction so that a proof of the customer's identity can be verified. Electronic signature capture systems are also commonly used to ensure that the person who is signing documents is the actual owner of the document.
The advantages and disadvantages of the electronic signature make it an important part of the legal process attached to any transaction involving money. The lack of authentication has allowed identity theft to take place, even though the victim was able to verify that the electronic documents were originally written by him or her. Another advantage of the electronic signature makes it much easier to create documents that are technically flawless and legally bind the signer. This means that the signatures have become a core part of how certain business transactions are processed.
