Electronic signatures: they’re legal, now what?

Abstract

In the USA, electronic signatures recently became as legally binding as printed signatures. But the legislation that made electronic signatures legal did nothing to specify how they should be implemented, or what precautions must be taken to ensure the security and validity of the signature process. This paper first reviews the status of electronic signatures in the USA, and compares it to work done by the United Nations. Next, the technology that can be used to implement electronic signatures is summarized. The paper concludes with a discussion of problems and open issues surrounding the use of electronic signatures.