E Signature Technology for Agencies
E signature technology speeds up a number of documents, reducing time during the review process and saving money on postage, paper and faxing. It also decreases the time it takes to distribute documents to signers and improves the ease with that they can be signed from remote locations.
An electronic signature is a picture of a typed or handwritten name that is attached to digital documents. These types of eSignatures don’t verify the authenticity of the signer nor do they contain any authentication or encryption features. A more advanced eSignature uses verification technology to create an encrypted hash of signature data, and then connect it to a public keys associated with the signature’s electronic identification. The recipient can decrypt the hash, verify it to the public key, and confirm that the signature has not been altered since it was signed.
A business can improve the security of electronic signatures by implementing additional methods of verification, like passwords two factor authentication, passwords and biometrics. These types of verification are used when there is an increased chance that the validity of the signature could be challenged.
Agencies should give special consideration to long-term, electronically-signed records that preserve legal rights. These records may need an extended software cycle and it’s important to maintain the integrity of records during any migration or upgrading processes. NARA’s guidance on scheduling records can assist agencies in determining the proper retention period for these records.
