Digital Signatures & eIDAS
The replacement of the handwritten signature is one of the primary drivers of digital transformation. The process of handwritten countersigning of a contract between two parties can take weeks and is not only time-consuming, but also costs money and human resources. A digital signature eliminates the need for printing, hand-signing (and thus the personal presence of the signatory), scanning and mailing – within just a few mouse clicks, contracts can be legally signed and transmitted by those responsible without a physical presence.
However, digital signatures extend to many more use cases, for example:
- Internal approval processes of any kind
- Tender documents/e-tendering
- Human resources documents (holiday applications, care leave requests, notice of termination, ...)
- Employee leasing contracts
- Running folders
- Non-disclosure agreements (NDA)
- Evidence of further training and certification
- Travel expense reports/receipts
- Authorisation of access and access rights
- Declarations of compliance (e.g. data protection declaration)
Digital Signatures & eIDAS – Our Workshops
Let us advise you within the framework of our workshops. Starting with the free basic workshop, we accompany you in every phase of the introduction of a signature solution!
Since July 1, 2016, the eIDAS Regulation has been providing the legal framework for electronic signatures. It states that electronic documents are in principle negotiable and defines three types of electronic signature: simple, advanced and qualified.
The highest level, qualified, is ascribed the same legal effect as a manual signature. This legal certainty enables the foundation for a digital single market in the EU area.
In order to accelerate the development, the eIDAS Regulation also enables a comparatively simple procedure for the qualified signing of documents: the remote signature. Remote signatures are comparable in their application to those that take place in the banking sector when placing an order.
Nevertheless, the qualified signature should only be used where it is legally required. This is because every person must first be legitimised for the qualified signature through an identification procedure, which is often associated with comparatively high costs. Not without reason the eIDAS Regulation provides alternatives with the simple and advanced electronic signature.
Commissioning such a solution is comparatively easy, provided you know what you need. Because the eIDAS world awaits with many exciting questions:
- Which signature level (simple, advanced, qualified) can be used for which formal requirement?
- When do I use the electronic seal instead of the electronic signature? When do I use an electronic time stamp instead of an electronic seal?
- What identification procedures are there and how do I find the right procedure for the company? (e. g. auto-ident, eID, bank-ident, video-ident)
- Where does the remote signature score, where does the signature card score?
- What are the authentication requirements? Does 2FA have to be used?
- How do I validate electronic signatures? How do I know which signature level they meet?
- What are the eIDAS Trusted Lists and what role do they play in signature validation?
- What costs can be expected? How expensive are qualified electronic signatures, seals or time stamps and how expensive are the ID procedures?
- When should legal advice be sought to determine the signature level?
- What should be considered when choosing a trust service provider in the qualified area?
- Which signature formats are recognised by the eIDAS Regulation? (e.g. XAdES, CAdES, PAdES, ASiC)
- Can I bring in an already company-owned PKI for the implementation?
- How can I integrate electronic signatures into third-party applications?
- When do I need an HSM or a QSCD?
- How can I bring documents into a signature workflow? Are there ways to control such workflows?
- How can I digitise paper documents? (e.g. replacement scanning/TR-RESISCAN)
- How can I preserve the evidential value of electronic signatures in the long term? (e.g. TR-ESOR, baseline LTA profiles)