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Mirko Zorz, Director of Content, Help Net Security
September 5, 2023
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THE MISCONCEPTIONS PREVENTING WIDER ADOPTION OF DIGITAL SIGNATURES



In this Help Net Security interview, Thorsten Hau, CEO at fidentity, discusses
the legal validity of qualified digital signatures, demonstrating their
equivalence to handwritten signatures when backed by robust identity
verification.

Opting for certified providers that adhere to standards like eIDAS or ZertES
ensures forgery-proof security. The balance between certification and user
experience is crucial to achieving seamless onboarding.



IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT DIGITAL SIGNATURES PREVENT WIDER
ADOPTION, AND HOW CAN THESE BE EFFECTIVELY ADDRESSED?

Many providers offer convenient digital signature solutions, allowing users to
sign documents with just a few clicks. But these signatures are neither secure
nor legally valid, and people have learned from their legal councils that they
need to use paper for relevant signatures. Qualified electronic signatures based
on solid identity verification and strict security standards are legally
equivalent to handwritten signatures and can be used for any kind of contract.
To drive adoption, we are promoting that once you have gone through the
onboarding and identification process, electronic signing is much faster than
any paper-based process.

HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS THE CURRENT LEVEL OF SECURITY PROVIDED BY DIGITAL SIGNATURE
PLATFORMS, AND HOW CAN THEY EFFECTIVELY TACKLE THE ISSUE OF SIGNATURE FORGING
AND FRAUD?

The variety of providers is huge, and the quality of signatures is completely
opaque to non-experts. A digital signature without the identification of the
signer is useless. To give signature forgery and fraud no chance at all, only
certified providers should be used. I’m not talking about ISO certification for
hosting but about providers who can prove certification for eIDAS or ZertES by
an accredited certification authority such as KPMG and who work with established
trust service providers.

SINCE INDUSTRIES LIKE GOVERNMENT, HEALTHCARE, AND BANKING ARE HEAVILY REGULATED,
HOW HAVE THESE SECTORS RESPONDED TO THE LEGALITY CONCERNS SURROUNDING DIGITAL
SIGNATURES? WHAT STEPS HAVE THEY TAKEN TO INTEGRATE DIGITAL SIGNATURES INTO
THEIR OPERATIONS?


Organizations and companies can be categorized into three levels of maturity:

 * Denial: These organizations choose to ignore development and stick to
   outdated and costly paper processes.
 * Bleeding: These organizations acknowledge the need for digitalization but
   often struggle through a challenging learning curve. They invest heavily in
   bespoke solutions that are expensive to conceptualize, install, and maintain.
   Unfortunately, these solutions are not scalable and cannot be applied to
   different processes.
 * Trusting: These organizations place their trust in competent and certified
   providers who understand their unique requirements, possess the technical
   expertise and knowledge of regulatory requirements to offer identity-based
   signing, which enables them to eliminate paper-based processes.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ORGANIZATIONS IN HIGHLY REGULATED INDUSTRIES THAT
ARE HESITANT TO ADOPT DIGITAL SIGNATURES DUE TO LEGALITY CONCERNS?

In my opinion, two aspects are crucial. On the one hand, organizations should
rely on a service provider that is certified according to eIDAS or ZertES
standards. On the other hand, user experience should never be underestimated as
it plays a crucial role in the onboarding process. Providing an intuitive and
seamless user experience not only enhances acceptance but also boosts the
conversion rate, empowering organizations to achieve their goals more
effectively.

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPLIANCE CHALLENGES THAT ORGANIZATIONS FACE WHEN
IMPLEMENTING E-SIGNATURES, AND HOW CAN THEY PREPARE FOR THESE CHALLENGES TO
AVOID FINES OR SANCTIONS?

When it comes to digital signatures, organizations should not be easily swayed
by providers who simply boast extensive PDF handling capabilities. While PDF
management is important, the real essence of digital signing lies in the
accurate identification of the signer and the subsequent secure authorization of
individual signatures. It’s crucial to have a seamless integration between the
identification process and the signing itself, ideally facilitated by a single
provider from end-to-end (e2e). By ensuring a comprehensive solution that covers
the complete signing journey, organizations can guarantee a robust and secure
digital signature process.

CONSIDERING THE UPFRONT COSTS OF IMPLEMENTING A DIGITAL SIGNATURE SYSTEM, CAN
YOU SHARE ANY DATA OR EXAMPLES HIGHLIGHTING THE LONG-TERM ROI ORGANIZATIONS HAVE
EXPERIENCED AFTER ADOPTING THIS TECHNOLOGY?

There’s a common misconception that digital signatures require huge upfront
costs. However, by choosing the right provider, you can achieve a remarkable 10x
reduction in expenses compared to traditional paper-based processes. This leads
to a significant ROI, which can be even achieved during the ramp-up period.

CAN YOU PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO HOW THE ESIGNATURE DIRECTIVE IN EUROPE HAS
IMPACTED THE LEGAL RECOGNITION AND USAGE OF ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES ACROSS MEMBER
STATES?

The importance of the eSignature Directive cannot be overstated. It has brought
legal clarity and even influenced anti-money laundering (AML) regulations in
numerous states. Consequently, we now have a situation where the standard of
identity assurance is equivalent for AML and digital signatures. This has
streamlined the implementation of digital signatures for banks and other
financial service providers since they can kill two birds with one stone: They
identify the new client once and put a qualified signature on the contract. This
way they comply with AML regulation and have a contract in place that does not
place any limitations on services that can be provided.




More about
 * certification
 * compliance
 * cybersecurity
 * digital signature
 * fidentity
 * government
 * healthcare
 * identity
 * identity verification
 * PDF
 * regulation
 * security ROI

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