What is an Electronic Signature and How to Use One

1. What is an Electronic Signature and How to Use One Before the age of computers, people used ink-based signatures. Today, people use computers, and most documents have become digital. There are many reasons why electronic signatures are considered the best. That is because electronic signatures can do everything that an ink-based signature does, except better. E-signatures are way more convenient than traditional ones as they allow parties to examine and sign the document remotely from a computer or smartphone from anywhere in the world. And after it gets signed, the results are instant- no more waiting around for the mail. The best thing is that FilesDNA- electronic signature software is affordable for any small business budget. So, if you want to know more about Digital Signature Software then read this article till the end. 1

2. What is an electronic signature? As the name suggests, signatures in the electronic form are known as e-signatures. Similar to wet signatures, the electronic ones enable signatories to approve or agree with the terms of a document. Although here, the electronic signature is essentially a process that uses a computer to authenticate the signature and certify the document's integrity. Digital signatures created by digital signature software such as FilesDNA use complex algorithms, certificate authorities (CAs), and trust service providers (TSPs) to authenticate the signatory and the integrity of the document. The Difference Between Electronic and Digital Signature The difference between electronic and digital signatures is minor to anyone who is sending or signing a document. Although, they are not subtle to auditors, compliance officers, judges, and regulators. Digital signatures are equipped with advanced features that keep them a complaint and secure. On the other hand, e-signature services don’t have advanced features like document encryption and version control. However, it is handy for agreements and approvals where security and compliance standards are not that important. For instance, this works when an HR professional has to approve an employee’s leave application. This is where the electronic signature comes in. Although, when you are dealing with processes that are subject to intense security and rigorous compliance standards, then a digital signature is what you need. In primary terms, digital signatures are a subset of electronic signatures that has specialized features that work best with legal and healthcare industries. Further, FilesDNA, a free digital signature software, comes with audit trail capabilities, encryption and other backend tools for the authenticity of the signature. 2

3. How does E-signatures work? The digital signing solution provided by FilesDNA will use a mathematical algorithm to generate two keys: public and private. When a signer signs a document, a cryptographic hash is generated for the record. After that, the sender’s private key encrypts the cryptographic hash stored in a secure HSM box. It is then appended to the document and sent to the recipients and the sender’s public key. The recipient can decrypt and encrypt the hash with the sender’s public key certificate. Again the cryptographic hash is generated on the recipient’s end. The software then compares the authenticity of both cryptographic hashes, and if they match, the document is considered valid and hasn’t been tampered. How to use a digital signature? To use FilesDNA’s digital signature, you need to follow the steps below: ⚫First, open the site and log in to your FilesDNA account. ⚫Then click on the documents and upload the document where you need signatures. ⚫After that, right-click on the 'document' and click on edit. ⚫Now your document is open and click on the sign button and select the signature if you have already stored it in the database, or you can draw one. Lastly, place the signature where you want on the document, and you can even adjust the size and opacity of it, and then you are done. 3

4. Contact Details:- Business Name:- FilesDNA Website:- https://www.filesdna.com/ Email:- Sales@filesdna.com Contact Number: +441618189519 Address: Adamson House Towers Business Park Wilmslow Road Didsbury, Manchester, UK, M20 2YY 4