The days of printing, signing, and scanning documents are over. Instead, fast, reliable, and convenient e-signatures are taking over. From closing deals faster to approving contracts on the go, e-signatures are becoming a staple in today’s agile and distributed work environments, making business easier for everyone. Stats reveal that e-signatures cut document handling costs by 85% and speed up agreements, with 80% of contracts closing in less than a day and 44% within 15 minutes.
However, with so many e-signature options out there, it can be overwhelming to find the perfect fit. Let’s break down the key features and capabilities you should be looking for in an e-signature solution.
6 Key Features of a Modern and Secure E-Signature Solution
1. Non-repudiation and Tamper-proofing:
Non-repudiation ensures that a signer cannot deny having signed a document, whereas tamper-proofing guarantees that the document remains intact and unaltered after it has been signed. Simply placing a digitized picture of a signature doesn’t ensure either.
Your chosen e-signature solution should enable digital signatures, which employ cryptographic techniques and hashing algorithms to create a unique digital fingerprint of the document and the signer. It serves as irrefutable proof that the specific individual with the corresponding private key signed the document. In addition, any alteration to the document post-signing changes the hash value and invalidates the digital signature.
2. Legal Enforceability:
The e-signature solution should fulfill all legal requirements for the enforceability of e-signatures. In addition to non-repudiation and tamper-proofing, these requirements include maintaining auditable logs of all actions performed on the document, including signing, viewing, and downloading, along with time-stamping to verify the exact time of signing and prevent backdating or future-dating.
Ensure that your e-signature solution complies with relevant international standards and regulations, such as eIDAS in the EU, ESIGN Act in the US. It will guarantee that the electronic signatures generated by the solution are globally recognized and legally binding. When implemented correctly, e-signatures can offer even better security and reliability than traditional handwritten signatures.
3. Data-blind Architecture:
Data-blind architecture ensures that even the e-signature solution provider cannot access your documents or their data. Contracts and agreements frequently contain sensitive data and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) subject to strict data privacy regulations. In the era of AI-driven SaaS, solution providers notoriously use your data and documents to train their AI models, while deliberately making data opt-outs a hassle. Their AI models may then reveal this data through vulnerabilities and manipulation. What’s even more concerning is that by agreeing to their terms of use, you might be inadvertently exposing your collaborators’ data to scrutiny, potentially violating privacy rights and even legal boundaries.
It is better to opt for a solution that maintains document storage within your infrastructure instead of transferring documents to the service provider's servers. This added layer of privacy is essential for safeguarding confidential information and fostering trust among stakeholders, partners, and clients.
4. Stringent Access Controls:
Make sure your solution allows you to control document actions such as access, downloads and shares, enabling you to restrict documents to a safe, view-only mode. This feature is necessary for maintaining control over your sensitive information and ensuring compliance with data protection regulations, both during and after the signing process.
5. Ease-of-Use and Integration:
A user-friendly, intuitive interface is crucial for widespread adoption. Choose a solution that all users, regardless of their technical proficiency, can use effectively with a minimal learning curve. Additionally, your chosen e-signature solution should integrate smoothly with your business applications, management systems, cloud storage services, and internal document workflows.
Ensure that the tool supports and retains original document formats, such as PDF, Word, and image files (JPEG, PNG), which is essential for maintaining existing workflows. The tool should also be accessible across various devices, regardless of their screen size and operating system, enabling all stakeholders to conduct business anytime, anywhere.
6. White-labeling and Workflow Customization:
The ability to customize sign requests with your company’s branding and personalized messaging can enhance professionalism and trust. Opt for a solution that offers white-labeling so that your clients experience a consistent brand image throughout their interactions with your business.
Also, look for solutions that allow you to make certain customizations in the document signing workflow. This can include options to select multiple signees and to choose between sending sign requests simultaneously or sequentially. This flexibility will allow you to tailor the signing process to your specific business needs.
Some additional considerations include reliable customer support, cost-effectiveness, and scalability to accommodate future growth. By carefully evaluating all of these aspects, you can make sure that your e-signature solution perfectly aligns with your business needs and compliance requirements.
Secure and Simple E-Signing with Confidencial
Confidencial Sign is an affordable, full-featured secure by-design e-signature solution that allows you sign, seal, and route legally binding agreements, all through a single platform.
Confidencial Sign provides all the essential features and technologies you need to effortlessly manage your document signing workflows from start to finish.
It offers:
Ironclad encryption and hashing for legally binding contracts and agreements
Full compliance with key e-sign legislation, including ESIGN Act and eIDAS regulation
Data-blind architecture so even we can’t access your documents
Granular access controls that remain intact even after sharing and signing
Detailed audit logs for all actions performed on the document
Customizable branding and options for multiple recipients and flow control
Reusable templates for regularly used contracts and agreements
Discover firsthand how Confidencial can streamline, secure, and optimize your document signing workflows. Book a free demo today!
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