Online Handwritten Signature Verification for Electronic Commerce over the Internet

Abstract

There is a lot of potential in using on-line handwritten signature verification over the Internet. Banks and Government bodies recognize signatures as a legal means of authentication. Compared with other electronic identification methods such as fingerprints scanning and retinal vascular pattern screening, it is easier for people to migrate from using the popular pen-and-paper signature to one where the handwritten signature is captured and verified electronically. In an era where electronic commerce and online banking are gaining world-wide popularity and huge acceptance among the common masses, there has to be a way of verifying the identity of the potential client in cyberspace. A verification model incorporated with an appropriate algorithm is proposed to facilitate on-line handwritten signature verification for electronic commerce over the Internet. The client/server architecture and the verification algorithm used are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of on-line handwritten signature as an authentication means for e-commerce.