by E-sign is basically the bigger and wider lens under which other electronic authentication methods fall, such as digital signature which is also referred to as the standard e-sign. An e-sign is anything in electronic form which links you to a contract or a job. It can be a simple click on the ‘I agree’ button under terms and conditions document, a digitized image of your handwritten signature or your very own typed name. These electronic forms of signatures are trustworthy and secure because once you have e-signed the document with let’s say an image, a digital signature can be applied by the organization holding the document to cryptographically protect it hence any changes in the document can be detected.
The fact that e-signs provide you with integrity and security that one needs in the growing online world in order to protect their documentation and claim rights upon them, it is widely used for several applications. Mostly used for e-government documentation and online banking, these are considered to increase work efficiency as it is faster to click a button than to send something through couriers. They find great utility in the business and corporate world. It helps you save several costs; such as paper usage, mailing costs and printing costs. Moreover, it seals the integrity of a document. It is a way through which an organization can verify itself and any documentation that it has produced. Thanks to e-signs, now you can get a bank account opened in minimal time and sign a document that demands your immediate attention and authentication.
E Signs have metaphorically eradicated the geographical boundaries as now you can conduct businesses with maximum ease while sitting at different ends of the world. Documents are transferred and shared online on daily basis without going through the hassle of postal services. Legal notices, bank statements or personal information is easily dispatched to the customers via internet, thanks to the invention of electronic signatures. Furthermore, the signer of the electronic signature can easily be verified eliminating fraud and repudiation to a great extent.
It is very common for us to confuse e-signs with digital signatures. Remember that these two are different from each other, with the latter being a more secure and authenticated way of signing documents and a sub category of the former. Still, we should not forget that it is still a form of e-sign. Thanks to several acts and laws passed under which e-signs become biding and can act as a trustworthy proof in the Court of Law.
Concluding one can say that e-sign was a huge and an expected step forward. It was obvious that since electronic documents have emerged, e-signs will closely follow them. However, the fact that is highly appreciable is that better and more secure forms of e-signs are surfacing in order to tackle any forgery situation. It is highly used in various places and can be considered an authenticated method.
