Signatures have been playing an important role in human identity for many years now. They are used every day by almost everyone to sign essential documents. Signatures were not a thing before the State of Frauds act was passed in 1677 in the English parliament and it was this that made signatures an everyday marker.
Printing documents, signing them physically, scanning, and sending them back have become a thing of the past. Wet signatures became the standard in offices all across the globe. These days, this practice, like everything else, moved to a digital form.
Earlier electronic signatures were a luxury business expense, but today they are used widely all across the globe. Digital signatures that are a part of electronic signatures have not received much attention and this is because very few people are even aware that both these terms are different. Most people think that digital signatures and electronic signatures mean the same thing and so use these terms interchangeably. However, both the words hold different meanings.
Digital Signature vs Electronic Signature
The main difference between a digital signature and an electronic signature is that digital signatures are used for securing a document so that no person can meddle with it without authorization. Electronic signature mainly aims at verifying a document.
Comparison Table Between Digital signature and Electronic signature
| Parameter of Comparison | Digital Signature | Electronic Signature |
| Definition | It is a type of electronic signature that extends more security than the e-signature. Its unique feature is that it connects the fingerprint of the document to one’s identity. | Any electronic symbol, characters, letters, sound, or process that is linked with a contract and is executed by a person with the intention to sign the document can be defined as an electronic signature. |
| Purpose | Its main purpose is to secure a document. | Verifying a document is its main purpose. |
| Security | These are more secure than electronic signatures since they have more security features. | These are less secure than digital signatures since they do not have many security features. |
| Types | There are a few types of digital signatures, the most common ones being Microsoft and Adobe PDF. | A scanned image, a tick, or a verbal can be the different types of electronic signatures. |
| Regulation | The certification authorities, i.e, trusted third parties regulate and authorize digital signatures. | There is no regulation of electronic signatures and so they are not much favored in different places because of their authenticity. |
What is a Digital Signature?
Digital signatures have replaced the old ways of signing reports and documents. In the past, pen and paper was used for signing anything, but now digital signatures have taken over this.
Digital signatures are complex computer-generated math problems that check the integrity and authenticity of digital documents and messages. It basically uses encryption and decryption technology.
Digital signatures ensure that the message contents are not changed or altered and helps to reduce the problems of tampering and messing.
They also supply details such as the consent by the signer, the origin, and the status of the message.
What is an Electronic Signature?
Electronic signatures are modern alternatives to signing documents with a pen and paper. Any electronic sound, symbol, or process that is associated with any contract and executed by a person with the intention to sign the document, is what an electronic signature is all about. It gets the approval of a person on digital documents in a legal way.
The main aspect of the electronic signature is to verify a document.
Electronic signatures are not secure enough as they do not use encryption. They are thus vulnerable to being tampered with.
Main Differences Between Digital Signature and Electronic Signature
- Digital signatures cannot be tampered with by any person because of the high level of security they offer, while electronic signatures can be tampered with by any person because of their low security.
- The primary aim of digital signatures is securing a document so that it cannot be messed with by any person without authorization. On the other hand, the main aim of an electronic signature is verifying a document, where the authors and the source of the document can be recognized.
- The authentication mechanism for digital signatures is a certificate-based digital ID, while that of electronic signatures can be through phone PIN, email, etc.
- The validation process of digital signatures is performed by trust service providers or trusted certificate authorities. There is no validation process for electronic signatures.
- The most common types of digital signatures include Adobe PDF and Microsoft, while that of electronic signatures include a symbol, electronic sound, tick, or a scanned image
Conclusion
Signing something online is what digital signatures and electronic signatures primarily mean. However, when comparing the two of them, it can be said that digital signatures are better than electronic signatures.
This is because digital signatures are more secure and they require more verification. They use coded messages to safely and securely link a document with the signer. Platforms such as DocuSign can be used to generate particular encryption authentications and keys, such as usernames and logins to ensure your documents are more secure. Digital signatures are universally accepted as they provide the highest level of security.
On the other hand, electronic signatures are less secure and they can be set up easily. They authenticate the signer and permit him to sign a document, but are not as strong as digital signatures.
Digital signatures are more preferred and used by government and healthcare sectors, due to the high level of security they offer.
References
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6469828/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378720603000909