6 Ways Your eSign Software Builds Client Trust

Catalyzed by the widespread shift to remote work during the pandemic, eSign software has become an indispensable tool for small businesses and large enterprises.

The ability to electronically sign documents—from contracts and legal agreements to new-hire paperwork and medical records—and integrate them with customer relationship management (CRM) and other business systems has transformed document management.

Although digital signatures for PDF documents make many business processes faster, more efficient, and less expensive, your clients may be asking: “Are they secure?”

The short answer is: absolutely!

But, let’s take a more in-depth look at how eSign solutions keep your customers safe.

With news of yet another data breach making headlines almost weekly, it’s not surprising that many people wonder whether it’s safe to submit their signatures electronically.

As with any connected technology, there is some risk of fraud, identity theft, forgery, and even malware. However, with the right security measures in place, eSign software is more secure than a physical signature on a hard-copy document.

Below, we look at six factors that protect your clients’ signatures and other personal information from malicious and unauthorized access.

The majority of today’s business transactions take place electronically, so it’s important to create a business environment where your clients feel secure.

Selecting an eSign software solution that supports these six security measures demonstrates that you take your clients’ security as seriously as they do.

Verification tools help ensure that the person signing a document is who they say they are. This helps reduce fraud and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive documents.

Common forms of ID verification include:

• Knowledge-based authentication (e.g., security questions) 
• Document verification (e.g., passport or driver’s license) 
• Biometric verification (e.g., fingerprints or facial recognition) 
• Digital ID verification (e.g., itsme, ConnectID) 

Security certifications provide evidence that an eSign software provider follows stringent security standards and best practices and that the software has safeguards in place to protect sensitive data.

These are a few of the security certifications many consumers expect their software to possess:

• ISO/IEC 27001 
• SOC 2 Type II 
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 
• Digital Signature Standard (DSS) 

Regular compliance testing ensures that your eSign software continues to meet legal and regulatory requirements, such as HIPAA and the E-SIGN Act in the U.S. and the eIDAS regulation in the EU.

Compliance testing also validates that your business’s electronically signed documents are legally binding and will stand up in court.

Audit trails build customer confidence in your product by providing end-to-end visibility into the e-signing process.

Compiling detailed logs helps prevent forgery and fraud and provides proof of compliance by tracking when and where a document was viewed, signed, and modified; who accessed the document; and what actions they performed while they had access.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) increases document security by requiring users to provide two or more verification factors. The combination of credentials typically includes:

• Something you know: A password or PIN serves as the first layer of protection. 
• Something you have: A smartphone, security token, or other physical device provides a second layer of security. 
• Something you are: Biometric verification, such as a fingerprint or facial scan, offers an additional, highly secure layer of authentication. 

Integrating MFA into your document management processes keeps your business in line with industry best practices and provides your clients with confidence that their signatures are safeguarded against potential threats.

Single sign-on (SSO) technology enables users to log in securely with a single set of credentials across multiple applications.

This highly effective access management approach reduces risk for your business and your clients by:

• Centralizing authentication to a single, secure access point. 
• Reducing the number of times credentials are transmitted across networks, potentially exposing them to malicious actors. 
• Generating detailed logs of user authentication events and consolidating them into a single audit trail. 

If your eSign software solution doesn’t offer adequate safeguards, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to build a trusting relationship with your clients.

Today, digital signatures for PDFs are the norm for many business transactions. Make sure your software reassures your clients that keeping their data safe is your top priority.

Ensure the security of your business documents with the right eSignature solution for the unique needs of your business. Download our Ultimate Guide to Electronic Signatures to discover how to evaluate and choose the best electronic signature solution for your business. Learn about the different types of signatures, signing methods, and regulatory requirements to ensure your business remains compliant and secure.