Introduction
Integrity of digital documents has become more important than ever due to the increased connectivity in the World Wide Web. Given that COVID has forced work-from-home culture and since many transactions occur online, both for business and for other personalized matters, documents in the form of contracts, invoices, HR forms, legal documents, etc., are interchanged thousands of times a day. However, with this increase in digital convenience comes a new bane: document fraud.
Signatures and their comparatives such as handwriting and scanned ones cannot meet growing demands for forgery, tampering and identity impersonation. This is where digital signatures come in handy as they utilize cryptographic tools to validate that the contents of the signed document is original and its signer is genuine. In this article, we’ll explain what digitally signatures are and why it is important to use them to avoid fraud; and how great platforms such as GetAccept work.
The issues with traditional signatures
In the past, signatory was considered to be an effective means of guaranteeing the signature’s authenticity. Nevertheless, conventional signatures in documents that are scanned or entered in electronic devices present grave security threats. These include:
- Easy Replication: signatures can easily be copied and also external sources can reuse them across unauthorized documents.
- No Audit Trail: there is not kind of way in tracing the external source who signed, where or when.
- No Protection of Data: unencrypted files and paper documents can be tampered or intercepted with.
These vices have led to losses in millions of dollars through fraud and legal cases all over the world. The solution is therefore one that is secure and can be verified. digital signatures.
Definition of Digital Signature
A digital signature is a protection tool that guarantees that the content of the document is original, has not been altered and it was signed by the person who owns it. Contrary to an e-signature which can be in the form of typing the first name or pasting the picture of a signatory, digital signature uses PKI to associate the signer to the document.
Here is how it operates:
- A rare harsh (a digitalized fingerprint) of the document is made.
- This harsh is then encrypted using the private key of the sender.
- The recipient then makes use of the sender’s public key to now decrypt the harsh and then verify both the unaltered state and the identity of the document.
If there is a sign after a semicolon, that is a completely different document, and the signature is considered to be not clean. This degree of accuracy is what has placed the digital signatures as one of the best methods of preventing fraud.
Key Benefits of using Digital Signatures
- No risk of document fraud
Digital signatures used can immediately alert one to changes that have been created by other people. This eliminates cases of fraudulent and forged documents, protecting individuals and organizations from fraud.
- Verification of the Identity of the Signer
Since each digital signature is associated to a unique private key, only the signer is able to finish the transaction. This also helps in tracking the progress of the members and accountability is also achieved since no impersonation is allowed.
- Transmission of Data is Secured
End to end messages is secured with somehow encrypted and the digitally signed documents cannot be intercepted or tampered with in between. This is very beneficial and important especially when dealing with documents such as legal documents or any other highly sensitive material.
- Legally Recognized
Many forms of digital signatures have legal equivalence to traditional paper-based signatures under various laws including the U.S. ESIGN and the Europe’s eIDAS Regulation, so long as they are compliant with the set standards something that GetAccept upholds.
- Audit Trail Visibility
Digital signature solutions create documents with proper stamps of time, signatures of the signee as well as the IP address. This enhances density and legal enforcement in case of a variety of litigation issues that might occur.
GetAccept: The Trusted and Reliable Digital Signature Platform
Among the globes of the digital signature providers modish today, GetAccept can be described as a secure and reliable platform that is convenient in use. It offers a harmonious experience of document through combining powerful encryption software with sales enablement. GetAccept does not require any plug-ins or add-ons to start using it; however, based on your specific needs, you can choose from a variety of features that your workflow might need. Whether you are in sales, HR, or even administration and legal, GetAccept has features that are just for you.
Features that make GetAccept Exceptional
✅ Free eSignature Tool
For those users that urgently need them to be signed, and safely signed at that, GetAccept’s free eSignature tool is both easy to operate and legally valid. No complicated setup. No software downloads. Just upload, sign, and send.
✅Bank Level Encryption
GetAccept employs 256-bit SSL encryption, which is the same encryption that banks utilize for online transactions. Your documents are also encrypted at rest and in transit.
✅Real time Tracking
Be aware of when your document is opened, viewed, or signed. This feature increases accountability, helping resolutions of deals even faster.
✅Audit Certificates and Trails
All documents come with a downloadable audit certificate, making sure there is a full visibility and legal compliance.
✅CRM Integrations
GetAccept works hand in glove with some of the powerful CRMs such as Salesforce, HubSpot and Pipedrive which means that Sales teams can track and manage their contracts right within their CRM.
✅Custom Templates and Workflows
Makes templates that can be reusable, develop workflow, and assign signing orders that match your organisations needs.
Practical use case: How to sign a word document with GetAccept
Most people still type contracts, agreements, policies or any other legal papers from Microsoft Word. If you want to know about the electronic signature features in a Word document you came to the right place. A guideline to follow with the use of GetAccept is outlined below:
- Log into GetAccept by clicking here: GetAccept
- Upload your Word file, either pdf or docx.
- Drag and drop signature fields to the needed location
- Send in the document submitted for signing via email
- Monitor the real time progress and download the last signed copy with full audit trail.
No scanning. No printing. Just efficient and secure signing.
Industries Benefiting from the use of Digitalized Signatures
🏥 Healthcare
HIPAA Compliant agreements, consent forms and patient releases can all be signed on digitally with a fully legal recognition.
🏠 Real Estate
Agents would be able to execute deals rapidly and more securely, without the need of in person meetings or paper copies.
🏢 HR and Legal
Contracts, offer letters, NDAs and handbooks for employees can be circulated securely, even with a remote team.
🏦 Financial Services
Digital signatures lower the huge risk in opening of accounts, unknown loan approvals, and audit documents
Common Misconceptions About Digital Signatures
“They are complex in using.”
The user interface even for the beginners is intuitive using such platforms as GetAccept, Signing a document is as easy as sending an e-mail.
“They are not valid legally”
In a true fact, Digital signatures are more robust legally than a handwritten signature ones when supported by audit and cryptographic verification trails.
“Only big businesses operate with them”
Students, start-ups, and even freelancers make use of digital signatures on a daily basis for document verifications, business contracts, and grant approvals.
Bonus: GetAccept’s Role in The Battle Against Document Fraud
GetAccept is not simply a document signing tool – it is a security focused product for an organization that cares about reputation, legal integrity, and data privacy. By providing advanced encryption, detailed logging, and authentication of the user, it lowers risk of fraud to just about zero.
When used with sales enablement tools, such as video messaging and smart reminders, now what GetAccept does is to take it beyond the signature, driving the way businesses communicate and close deals.
Conclusion
To summing it all up, in a time when digital fraud has no bounds to what it can create, and the difference between success and failure is minimal, companies and professions can’t risk falling back on the old ways of signing and authenticating forms. Digital signatures offer an unmatched protection; documents are safe, unaltered, and legally binding.
GetAccept is fronting this digital revolution. GetAccept not only provides a free eSignature tool, but also provides step by step guidance to its users on how to sign a Word document thus combining convenience with compliance to providing industry leading results.
Nether the less you are managing a multinational team or a solo entrepreneur, keeping your documents secured with GetAccept Is not just a smart choice, it is essential.
