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  3. What is an Electronic Signature?
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Secure Signatures

What is an
electronic signature?

What is an electronic signature or e-signature?

An electronic signature, or e-signature, is a signature or mark signifying an agreement in electronic form. It allows signers to approve or agree to terms in a document. Depending on the region of the world you are in, an e-signature is considered less secure than a digital signature which includes encryption. For example, e-signatures can simply be an image of your signature. However, in Europe, Qualified e-signatures are the highest form of digital signatures and are deemed legally the same as your handwritten signature. Read about the difference between e-signatures and digital signatures here.

Are electronic signatures legally valid?

The legal validity of an electronic signature, or e-signature, is governed by legal regulations that vary from country to country.  Some countries allow almost every e-signature to be legally enforceable, while other countries and regions define specific requirements for a signature to be legally binding, which may include the use of higher assurance digital signatures. In the EU and Switzerland, eIDAS and ZertES qualified signatures are equivalent to a handwritten signature. Laws governing the use of electronic signatures may also have different stipulations for the type of document being signed.

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