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What is Secure Signing?
Secure signing uses electronic signatures with unique digital markers to identify and validate the signatory. The signatures are encrypted, so only intended recipients with the corresponding decryption key can access them. You can also easily validate the identity of the person who signed the document. This ensures the signature is verifiable and legally binding in court.
Security is a common and major concern when it comes to electronically signed documents. Anyone can easily attach a digital image of your signature to a Word or PDF document. Without security measures in place, it’s easy to forge an electronic signature.
Secure online document signing involves complex systems that make forgeries extremely difficult and impossible. It uses cryptographic algorithms that can’t be easily attacked by cybercriminals. Users go through multi-factor authentication before they can sign the document, ensuring only the intended individuals who can prove their identity will sign the document.
This gives both parties peace of mind that the document was signed in good faith and can withstand legal scrutiny. Because of the security measures in place, secure document signing is tamper-proof and signatories can’t deny their involvement with the signed document.
Benefits of Secure Signing
Using secure online signing has several advantages, such as the following:
1. Enhanced Security
Every time you use a secure signing solution, you reduce the risks of cyber criminals accessing confidential and sensitive information. Malicious individuals are becoming more crafty in their nefarious activities and will stop at nothing to gain access to private data.
Secure signing applications have devoted time and resources to developing strict security measures, like the latest encryption technology and multiple password protection methods. They store documents in secure servers and encrypt them in transit so that even if they’re intercepted, unauthorized persons can’t view the contained information.
2. Regulatory Compliance
Secure document signing also enables you to remain compliant with regulations like HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR, and more. These regulating bodies levy heavy fines and penalties on violators, which you don’t want for your business.
Using secure signing apps guarantees that you’re working with a tool that meets the stringent regulatory requirements. Aside from offering the latest security, these apps provide audit trails so you can review detailed records of the signing process, including timestamps, IP addresses, and actions taken.
3. Increased trust and reputation
By being committed to security and privacy, your business gains the trust of your customers. They know that they can depend on you to protect their data and will have confidence in sharing information with your business.
Your company will also develop a solid reputation as a secure and compliant business, which will attract even more potential clients. Since they know you’re using secure digital signing services, they won’t hesitate to sign the documents you send their way.
4. Peace of mind
Secure signing solutions give you peace of mind that your documents will hold up in legal courts should they be scrutinized. You know that you are getting real signatures, not forgeries, which will be honored by your clients.
This benefit goes both ways since your client is also assured that the contract or document they signed remains valid and the conditions stated will be honored. Secure online document signing assures both parties that both will be bound to the stipulations in the document.
5. Better productivity
Electronically signing documents provides a smooth and seamless process that enhances your staff’s productivity. From creating the document to sending it out for signatures to following up responses, you get a streamlined workflow that promises to be faster than mailing documents back and forth.
This helps you concentrate on important matters rather than the tedious task of collecting signatures. eSignature tools have a feature where each signatory is reminded to affix their signature once prerequisites have been met.
Implementing Secure Signing Practices
To start enjoying the benefits of secure digital signing, you should consider the following best practices.
Use a reliable eSignature platform.
There are many solutions in the market and you should choose one that offers features like top-notch security, compliance, automated workflows, scalability, and multiple integrations. You want a platform that can work with your existing systems and that’s intuitive to use.
Always password-protect your documents.
Never be complacent about your documents’ security. Always enable the options to password protect it and ensure only the intended recipients know the password to the document. Use secure methods to share information with your clients and employees. You should also require everyone who accesses the signing tool to use multi-factor authentication to ensure only authorized individuals can access the tool.
Create a unique signature.
Depending on the tool, you can either draw a signature with a touchpad or choose from several pre-designed signatures. Some tools will also allow you to upload a scanned image of your wet signature. Whatever method you choose, ensure that you have a signature that represents your unique identity accurately. Ideally, it should also be the same one used across several documents for consistency.
Double-check the tool’s compliance.
When you sign up for an online signing tool, ask for proof of their regulatory compliance. For example, if you need a HIPAA-compliant tool, then you should ask for a signed BAA (Business Associate Agreement). This is a requirement for HIPAA compliance and it guarantees that you’re using a tool that is committed to following HIPAA rules.
Explore HIPAA-Compliant Secure Signing with Fill
Start implementing secure document signing to all of your digital documents with Fill’s robust eSignature features. You can securely sign documents with just a few clicks and rest easy knowing that your data is protected with robust encryption methods.
Fill is compliant with industry regulations and will sign a BAA with healthcare organizations. Check out Fill today and start your free trial.
