Are different signatures required for different purposes? Some common uses for digital signatures include electronic tax forms, applications for business permits and online college applications. In addition, electronic messages are signed with the sender’s private decryption key and verified by anyone who can access the sender’s public encryption key this further ensures that both parties are who they say they are and that the content of the message has not been changed or intercepted.ĭigital and electronic signatures are often used synonymously, but most types of electronic signatures do not have the security features of true digital signatures.
The parties on either side of a digital signature can also detect whether the signed document was altered or changed in any way that would invalidate it.
It includes a certificate of authority, such as a Windows certificate, to ensure the validity of the signatory (the signature’s author and owner).
Sometimes referred to as a cryptographic signature, a digital signature is considered the most “secure” type of electronic signature.
Various legal definitions exist for electronic signatures, but the term most generally refers to the acknowledgement or adoption of an electronic message, transaction or document. In both cases, the word “wet” implies that the signature requires time to dry, as it was made with ink or wax. Other cultures use name seals to the same effect. In some cultures this is done by writing a name in a stylized, cursive format (or even a simple “X”) on a piece of paper. What is a wet signature?Ī wet signature is created when a person physically marks a document. Here’s what you need to know about the three main signature categories (wet, digital and electronic signatures) and how they facilitate (or impede) business processes. The problem I'm having now is that even through Reader DC I can subsequently alter the Date and ID# fields and save those changes in the same document.What do you imagine when you hear the word “signature?” 50 years ago we might all have had the same answer, but today, “ink on paper” isn’t the only option for authorizing a document or transaction. The Date and ID# fields were automatically populated as desired and I signed the Signature field with the Topaz pen. Closed the PDF document and reopened it with Reader DC as the default program. Used DC Pro's "Certificates" tool to define a signature field, with Topaz Sig Pad as the default input.Ĥ. Used document level JavaScript to populate the Date field with System Date, and ID# field with the document's file name (excluding the file extension).ģ. Used DC Pro's "Prepare Form" tool to add 3 input fields to my document: Sign, Date, and ID#.Ģ. Is there a way to prevent a PDF document's content from being altered after it is signed with a digital signature pad?ġ.