Digital signatures
intuitive, compliant and secure!

An electronic signature, or e-signature is a legal concept. It is the electronic equivalent of a paper signature and thus has legal value. It captures a person’s intent to agree with the contents, terms and conditions as specified in the (electronic) document, contract or other record it is attached to.

A digital signature is a cryptography-based technology. An electronic signature created by means of digital signature technology is the electronic equivalent of a notarized paper signature. Digital signatures use the standards and procedures of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to sign electronic data with a cryptographic key.

A digital signature guarantees the integrity of the document it signs. The contents of the message cannot be modified or tampered with, without breaking the validity of the digital signature. However a digital signature does not always guarantee the authentication of the sender. Only when a qualified certificate links the signature to a person, is the identity of that person legally confirmed. These qualified certificates must be provided by a recognized certificate authority or generated by a secure signature creation device (such as an eID).

The European legislation that regulates e-signatures recognizes these differences concerning digital signatures. When qualified certificates are added, these digital signatures provide non-repudiation and thus their juridical value is guaranteed by law and does not require a court ruling. 

Electronic signatures are legal and recognized as valid in Regulation No 910/2014, known as eIDAS, which entered into force throughout Europe last July 1, 2016. The eIDAS is directly applicable in all member states by the fact that it is a regulation, and not a directive.

Based on the analysis of DLA Piper in June 2020, if it is properly configured, Connective eSignatures allows the creation of electronic signatures within the meaning of Article 3(10) of the eIDAS Regulation and even, depending on the signature method chosen by the customer or user, certain advanced and qualified electronic signatures (within the meaning of Articles 3(11) and 3(12) of the eIDAS Regulation). Connective has also included in Connective eSignatures means guaranteeing the long-term validity of these electronic signatures, namely an integration with third-party electronic time-stamping officially recognised certificate authorities (CAs). In this context, and with proper configuration, Connective eSignatures as an electronic signature solution allows the management of a signing process that complies with the requirements for all kinds of electronic signatures foreseen under the eIDAS Regulation.

With its breadth of signing methods supported, Connective eSignatures allows the initiator of
the signing process to choose the settings that are most appropriate to the electronic document in question and the intended legal consequences. With this properly done, law firm DLA Piper concludes after a thorough assessement and with a high level of confidence that Connective eSignatures is a tool that, in conjunction with appropriate and legally compliant processes, allows the production of electronic signatures and records with respect to certain transactions, each as defined in the U.S. eCommerce Laws.