Wet signatures have a reputation of being forged and tampered with. In the modern world, digital signatures are considered more secure than its traditional counterpart. And when the need for digital signature verification arises, the process is also more reliable and much less complicated.
But what exactly is signer identity verification, and how does it work? In this article, we’ll look at digital signature verification and why businesses should consider adding it to their security practices.
Table of Contents
- Introduction to Digital Signature Verification
- Importance of Verifying Digital Signatures
- Common Challenges When Using Digital Signatures
- How Digital Signature Verification Works
- Tools on How to Verify Digital Signatures
- Best Practices to Ensure Validity of Digitally Signed Documents
- Verifying Digital Signatures With Fill
Introduction to Digital Signature Verification
Digital signature verification is the process of authenticating documents that were signed electronically. This is typically done by checking the signature against a known public key. But it can also be done by checking the signature against a known certificate.
Digital signatures are used to verify the identity of the sender of a document. It’s to ensure that the message or document has not been modified in any way. They are used in email and file-sharing applications and are becoming common as a way to secure web-based transactions.
Importance of Verifying Digital Signatures
The importance of verifying digitally signed documents cannot be overstated. In today’s increasingly digital world, more and more transactions are taking place online. This means there is a greater need for security and authenticity when it comes to documents.
One way to ensure the authenticity of a document is to digitally sign it through a trusted electronic signature solution. This enables the document to be secure and trustworthy.
However, it is crucial to remember that even digitally signed documents can still be tampered with. This is why verifying the signature before trusting a document to be downright authentic is always important.
Common Challenges When Using Digital Signatures
While there are more validity issues with wet signatures, digitally signed documents are not invincible against breach attempts. There are a few common challenges that can arise when using and verifying digital signatures. This includes the following:
Vulnerability to fraud
Despite using advanced technology, fraud, and identity theft attempts cannot be completely eliminated when implementing eSignatures. Electronic signatures rely on electronic devices and software. This means they are subject to the same risks as any other electronic system.
Unauthorized signing
Just like manually signing documents, unauthorized signing is also a risk in adopting digital signatures. Organizations need to ensure that all signatories are authorized. Likewise, the signatories must be properly informed about what exactly they are signing.
Non-compliance
Businesses face the risk of sanctions, fines, and accreditation loss if they fail to comply with existing electronic signature laws. There are also rules and regulations for presenting documents, disclosures, and other information during a transaction. Not complying with such laws can also jeopardize a company’s brand and reputation.
How Digital Signature Verification Works
When you receive a digital signature, you first need to verify that it is valid. This can be done using a variety of methods, but the most common is by utilizing an eSignature verification tool.
This tool will take the digital signature and compare it to the signer’s public key. If the signature is valid, the tool will return a positive result. If the signature is invalid, the tool will show a negative result.
Fill, a seamless digital signature solution ensures that documents digitally signed through the platform are safe, valid, and legally binding. Its signature verification process includes recording the transaction history of when and who signed a specific document that was received.
Tools on How to Verify Digital Signatures
There are a few different tools and techniques that can be used to verify digital signatures. But it all boils down to opting for either fraud-preventing digital solutions.
Using a public key infrastructure (PKI). This is a system that uses public and private keys to encrypt and decrypt data. PKI is used to verify digital signatures by checking the validity of the public key used to sign the data.
Using a digital signature verification tool. This sophisticated software allows users to digitally sign documents in seconds. On top of that, it ensures that such digitally signed documents are legally enforceable and valid.
Best Practices to Ensure Validity of Digitally Signed Documents
There are a few best practices that can help ensure the validity of digitally signed documents. More than just opting to use an electronic signature tool, it’s also:
Choosing reliable eSignature software
There are more than a few eSignature solutions that claim reliability and optimal security features. It is important to be wise in choosing a digital signature service that a trusted third party provides. This will help to ensure that digital signatures are valid and cannot easily be tampered with.
Securing signed documents in cloud-based storage
To keep documents from being tampered with in transit, signed documents must be in a safe virtual storeroom. This will help prevent unauthorized access to the document and ensure that the signature remains legally binding.
Regularly checking the document
This may seem tedious, but it ensures that the signature remains valid and that the document has not been modified. This can be done by using software such as an eSignature verification tool. By following these best practices, you can ensure that your digitally signed documents are legally enforceable.
Verifying Digital Signatures With Fill
Fill is a competent digital signature service that allows users to verify digital signatures easily. To give you an easy guide, refer to the steps below.
- To get started with Fill, sign in to your account on our website. You can create a new account using your email address or Google account.
- Once you’re signed in, you’ll be taken to your dashboard. This is where you can manage documents and change the settings as you deem fit.
- The next step would be to click the “Start Now” button on the upper-right section of the dashboard.
- To activate the Signer ID verification, use the “Request Signature” feature.
- You can now upload a document, and Fill will recognize any fillable fields right away. You might also opt to use one of our editable templates.
- Once you have a document up and running, Fill will ask you for the signer’s personal information. Additionally, you can personalize your message by using custom email branding using your Pro account.
- After that, turn on the Require ID verification tab located on the window’s right side. The pop-up asking for signature verification will then show.
- To access the verification function, you must have a Pro account and at least one credit available. Each credit has a $1.99 value.
- The eSignature verification is then activated. The document can now be edited to add the necessary fields.
- Once you’re through, click the Send button to request the recipient’s digital signature. Once the signatory has finished the eSigning process, you will be notified via email about the completed transaction.
After these steps, rest assured that your electronic signature processes are even more protected with an extra layer of security.
Fill: An Efficient Tool in Signature Verification Process
One preferred solution used by many businesses is Fill. With Fill, the creation, signing, and tracking of a document may it be a contract or form, are simplified. You can rest assured that your data is completely safe from any type of breach or cyber threat.
You can even use our contract management templates to help you secure deals quickly. We have tons of templates you can use, ranging from accounting, business, sales, education, healthcare, construction, agriculture, and more.
Fill ensures optimum safety among its users through its signer ID verification. Furthermore, Fill is equipped with a military-grade security feature that will eliminate your worries about having your documents forged.
See this for yourself and experience other features relevant to your work. Sign up for free today.
