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Add-ons und Integrationen

Add-ons and integrations

Datenschutz ist unsere Mission und nicht nur ein Zusatz. sproof ist DSGVO-konform und erfüllt die Anforderungen eines der weltweit umfassendsten rechtlichen Rahmenwerke für den Datenschutz. sproof hostet alle seine Dienste innerhalb der EU und ohne Beteiligung von Drittländern. Zusätzliche anpassbare automatische Löschungen und strenge technische und organisatorische Maßnahmen (TOMs) sichern die Privatsphäre unserer Kunden.

sproof sign entspricht der FDA 21 CFR Part 11. FDA 21 CFR Part 11 ist ein Code of Federal Regulations, der die Vorschriften der United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) zu elektronischen Aufzeichnungen und elektronischen Signaturen (ERES) festlegt. Teil 11 definiert insbesondere die Kriterien, nach denen elektronische Aufzeichnungen und elektronische Signaturen als vertrauenswürdig, zuverlässig und gleichwertig mit Papieraufzeichnungen gelten.

sproof ist eIDAS-konform und erfüllt die Anforderungen für rechtsverbindliche digitale Signaturen gemäß der EU-Verordnung über elektronische Identifizierung und Vertrauensdienste für elektronische Transaktionen, die in Belgien, Bulgarien, Dänemark, Deutschland, Estland, Finnland, Frankreich, Griechenland, Irland, Italien, Kroatien, Lettland, Litauen, Luxemburg, Malta, Niederlande, Österreich, Polen, Portugal, Rumänien, Schweden, Slowakei, Slowenien, Spanien, Tschechische Republik, Ungarn und Zypern gelten. sproof sign kann auch Signaturen gemäß dem Schweizer Zert-ES für rechtsverbindliche digitale Signaturen in der Schweiz erstellen.

sproof sign ist für die öffentliche Verwaltung geeignet und vom IÖB ausgezeichnet. Ein österreichisches Expertengremium hat sproof sign geprüft und mit dem IÖB-Siegel ausgezeichnet, das sproof sign als ein für die Erstellung und Sammlung digitaler Signaturen geeignetes Werkzeug für die öffentliche Verwaltung kennzeichnet.

Datenschutzgrundverordnung

FDA 21 CFR Part 11

Elektronische Identifizierung, Authentifizierung und Vertrauensdienste

IÖB-Auszeichnung

Data protection is our mission, not just an add-on. sproof is DSGVO compliant and meets the requirements of one of the world's most comprehensive legal frameworks for data protection. sproof hosts all of its services within the EU and without the involvement of third countries. Additional customizable automatic deletions and strict technical and organizational measures (TOMs) safeguard the privacy of our customers.

sproof sign complies with FDA 21 CFR Part 11. FDA 21 CFR Part 11 is a Code of Federal Regulations that establishes the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations on electronic records and electronic signatures (ERES). Part 11 specifically defines the criteria by which electronic records and electronic signatures are considered trustworthy, reliable, and equivalent to paper records.

sproof is eIDAS compliant and meets the requirements for legally binding digital signatures according to the EU Regulation on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions applicable in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. sproof sign can also create signatures according to the Swiss Zert-ES for legally binding digital signatures in Switzerland.

sproof sign is suitable for public administration and has been awarded by the IÖB. An Austrian expert panel has tested sproof sign and awarded it the IÖB seal, which identifies sproof sign as a tool suitable for the creation and collection of digital signatures for public administration.

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Electronic identification, authentication and trust services

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What is a digital signature? What is the difference between an electronic signature and a digital signature? We clarify.

The digital signature explained

# What is a digital signature?

A digital signature is a method of signing digital documents and verifying the signature of a document. This allows the authenticity of the electronic document to be established. A digital signature works like a human fingerprint in that each document has its own unique electronic fingerprint. No other document can have the same digital signature. If a digital document is "sealed" with a signature, then it can be proven that

- the file has not been changed after it has been signed (integrity).
- a specific person has signed the document (authentication).
- the person signing the document really did sign it. The person cannot deny having signed the document after a digital signature has been created.
- the document that is present is not a forgery. 


Digital signatures are now widely used in business and the financial industry, for example, to authorize bank payments (money transfer), exchange signed electronic documents, sign digital contracts, and in many other scenarios.

### Advantages of digitally signed documents

Have you ever lost important documents or can't find where you filed your contracts? Put an end to the tedious administrative work! Rely on a modern and reliable electronic signature solution with an integrated archiving system. Digital signatures and storage eliminate the risk of physical documents being lost or damaged. Invest in the future and optimize your document management!

In summary, digital signatures:

- Save valuable time
- Save costs
- Improve the user experience for your customers
- Improve the security of document signatures
- Secure the future viability of your business

# What is the difference between an electronic signature and a digital signature?

It is very easy to confuse the terms "electronic signature" and "digital signature". Often, the terms are used interchangeably, but when looked at closely, they are not the same thing.

## The electronic signature

The electronic signature (or e-signature) is a modern alternative to the handwritten signature in the analog world. It enables efficient, verifiable and legally binding approval of electronic documents. Similar to a handwritten signature, an electronic signature confirms a person's intention to approve a document or accept the terms of a document. Thus, electronic signature is a legal term and encompasses several categories.

An electronic signature is a method of entering into a legal agreement in a digital environment. It is, so to speak, the digital equivalent of signing a paper document, such as a sales contract. A person signing an agreement creates an electronic signature when they sign an electronic document by clicking a button or drawing their signature with a mouse, touchpad, or other input device.

An electronic signature is defined in the eIDAS Regulation as "data in electronic form that is attached to or logically associated with other data in electronic form and used by the signer to sign."

There are several methods to express agreements, consents and acknowledgements in a digital environment, including:

- Clicking a button to agree to text on the screen, such as terms and conditions.
- Clicking and/or drawing your signature to sign an electronic document
- Making an audio or video recording of a verbal confirmation
- Authenticating your identity using an electronic identification device (eID).


Not all of these methods are considered electronic signatures, and which method to use depends on the situation. Because the legal implications of these methods can vary widely, factors such as implementation cost, ease of use (customer experience), legislation, company policy, and assessed business risk usually determine which method to use in a given situation.

Even in the electronic signature category, there are different levels, and which level is appropriate for a given situation depends on the same factors mentioned above.

## The digital signature

A digital signature is an electronic signature based on asymmetric cryptographic algorithms. It can only be created with a private key, but anyone can verify it with the public key.

Due to cryptographic technology, digital signature provides a higher level of security and integrity of the document compared to electronic signature. For example, an e-signature can also be simply an image of the signature or a simple email signature.

Digital signatures are also used to approve and validate documents in electronic form. However, they use complex cryptographic mechanisms to authenticate digital documents, confirm the identity of signers, and protect data from tampering and corruption during transmission.

Digital signatures are equipped with back-end tools that ensure that only an authorized person can sign a document and which prevent changes after signing. A digital signature is generated with a unique digital ID called a "digital certificate" or "public-key certificate".

### The differences in a nutshell

While an electronic signature proves the approval of the document's signer, a digital signature is proof of the authenticity of the document itself. The two work together and are required to make a digital agreement verifiable and legally enforceable.

### e-Signature standards: Forms of electronic signature

Basically, a distinction is made between three types of electronic signature, which are defined by the eIDAS Regulation and serve as the legal framework.

- Simple electronic signature (SES)
- Advanced electronic signature (AES)
- Qualified electronic signature (QES)


The qualified electronic signature (QES) meets the highest quality criteria and is legally 100% equivalent to the handwritten signature.

There are numerous application areas for digital signatures that span various industries. The switch to electronic signatures by means of a software solution is a worthwhile investment for almost every company, which achieves a measurable effect on efficiency and cost reduction.

There are different types of digital signatures and a specific signature standard must be selected depending on the use case and requirements. The legal basis for this in the EU is the eIDAS Regulation, which defines requirements for the individual forms. The three most important signature standards and their various properties are explained in this article.

QES AES SES: Overview of all eSignature-Standards

## Not all digital signatures are created equal!

Almost all of us have already drawn a photo of his/her signature on a document and checked it off as digitally signed. This may have been sufficient for simple and informal documents, however, one comes up against one or the other limit with this approach. For this reason, a distinction is made between three types of signature, and only the qualified signature is 100% legally equivalent to the handwritten signature. This requires a more complex technology (e.g. sproof sign) that can create an encrypted, verifiable signature in the background.

Depending on the application and requirements, a specific signature standard must be selected. The legal basis for this in the EU is the [eIDAS Regulation](/en/blog/what-is-the-eidas-regulation), which defines requirements for the individual forms. The three most important signature standards and their various properties are explained in this article.

## The QES - the digital equivalent of the handwritten signature

According to the eIDAS Regulation, a qualified electronic signature (QES for short) is 100% legally equivalent to a handwritten signature and meets the highest quality criteria. However, the signature must be executed using a qualified signature creation device and 2-factor authentication. In Austria, for example, this is realized with the cell phone signature (ID Austria). The qualified digital signature must also include the name of the signatory.

Therefore, only the qualified signature should be used for contracts with a legal formal requirement (written form requirement) and high demands on the probative value as well as the trust of all contracting parties. In addition, the QES can maximize the evidential value of form-free contracts and minimize the risk.

**The QES is the worry-free signature speciality of sproof sign. With us, even the highest requirements are met.**

## The AES - the flexible choice for documents without formal requirements.

In addition to the simple digital signature, the advanced electronic signature (AES for short) offers the possibility of unique identification of the signatory. The identification can be done e.g. via the e-mail address, telephone number, etc. and the identity check is thus also possible afterwards.

Every signature made with sproof sign already achieves the high level of security guaranteed by the advanced digital signature. With us, the signer is additionally identified, e.g. with the help of the mail address. Thus, this type of digital signature already has sufficient probative value for many applications. The AES is mainly used for contracts without formal requirements, such as rental agreements or simple employment contracts. 


## The SES - for informal documents without liability risk

The simple electronic signature (SES for short) has no probative value and can in no way replace a written signature, as it does not contain any means of identification and can therefore not be clearly assigned to a person. It is therefore only suitable for informal contracts and informal documents. A common example of a simple signature is an uploaded photo or a scan of a signature that is placed on a document.


*The examples may vary depending on the country and internal guidelines and should therefore only serve as an aid to understanding! Consult legal counsel or our sales department for your specific case.

Es gibt verschiedene Arten von digitalen Signaturen und je nach Anwendungsfall und Anforderungen muss ein bestimmter Signaturstandard  gewählt werden. Die drei wichtigsten Signaturstandards sind die QES, FES und EES.

QES FES EES: Alle eSignatur-Standards im Überblick

QES, FES, EES: Alle eSignatur-Standards im Überblick

QES, AES, SES: Overview of all eSignature-Standards 

## Digital vs. scanned

The word "scanned signature" reveals that it is a digital image of a handwritten signature. This is obtained by converting one's signature, which exists on paper, into a digital format (.jpg, .doc, .pdf, etc.) using a scanner or camera.

In principle, scanned signatures are **valid** unless **a written form** is **required** for the declaration of intent.

However, a scanned signature is **not legally valid** because the **signer cannot be identified** and consent cannot be proven.

A scanned signature carries a **high risk of forgery**. Since any recipient of the signed contract can easily copy your scanned signature (#SnippingTool #Screenshot). It is obvious that this is not legal.

A scanned signature has **no probative value in court**, as it is just a copy of your original signature. Without proof of how the signature was created, it is considered a mere copy and not an authentic signature. For this reason, it is not valid for contract processes, especially in companies.

With an electronic signature solution, legally binding and provable contracts can be concluded quickly, easily and without complications.

<u><strong>Advantages:</strong></u>

- No printer or scanner required
- End-to-end electronic process
- AES and QES are eIDAS-compliant and provable
- QES for documents that require the written form
- Can be integrated into existing systems
- **No media discontinuity - everything completely digital**

## Evidential value and legal validity

### Legal validity

A legally binding contract is concluded when both parties reconcile their declarations of intent. The legislator gives the contracting parties the freedom to decide for themselves whether they wish to conclude an agreement orally, in writing on paper or electronically.

However, there is a written form requirement for some documents. In this case, the declaration of intent must either be signed by hand on paper or provided with a qualified electronic signature (QES). A scanned signature is not valid.

However, for documents without a written form requirement, a scanned signature can be legally valid, but in this case the provability may be questioned.

### Evidential value

Facts and evidence can be used to prove something, and a fact can be proven. A scanned signature or simple electronic signature has no probative value because the person signing cannot be clearly identified.

With the advanced electronic signature (AES), the probative value is high because identification of the person signing can be established by cell phone number or e-mail address.

The qualified electronic signature (QES) has the highest possible probative value, since the person must identify himself with a verified eID or perform a video identification once. In addition, the cell phone number is required for [2-factor authentication](</en/blog/digital-signature-create-so-you-get-a-qualified-electronic-signature-qes>).

E-signature, web tools - 100% data protection compliant: Sign quickly and easily at last. Register now for free!

The quality criteria of web-based e-signature tools

Tedious contract processes are a thing of the past - but how does it work to sign contracts easily and securely online? In this article, you will learn how contracts are signed online or how signatures can be obtained on the web. What is important, what are the quality criteria? But a "spoiler" beforehand: Simple & secure can, but do not have to work together. 

## The electronic signature has come to stay

It's a matter of attitude. Signing a document has a certain aesthetic component. You seal a decision with something very personal: your own handwritten signature. This signature is often rehearsed and refined over years and, in most cases, remains unchanged over an entire business life. Often, the analog signature of a document is associated with a meeting, there are several parties to the contract, and there is often something social about it. People meet, shake hands, sign a document and then file it away in a more or less secure archive. In most cases, the parties are satisfied and go their separate ways. 

The other side of the coin is obvious. Regardless of whether you want to map internal signature processes or external ones. It requires a very high level of resources, which can be wasted with the help of the digital signature. 
The digitization of decision-making processes has already arrived even in very "old-established" industries and business fields. In the private context, the electronic signing of contracts has already been widespread for some time and is supported by state eIdentity providers in many European countries. 

Accordingly, the integration of signature solutions in the corporate context very often starts from individual voices in the company who have long since become familiar with the advantages of electronic signatures in the private sector. Many government online services enable citizens to sign contracts digitally. Ultimately, this leads to entrepreneurs wanting the benefits of these online signature solutions for contract processing in their own companies as well.

## How does the digital signature work?

There are more and more new, often small and free freeware signature tools circulating on the net, often keeping registration and use very low-threshold. It works just like larger tools: You have saved a digital document yourself locally, upload it to a web browser tool and sign it. With some tools, the document can also be downloaded and then sent on. In contrast, there are complex signature platforms that are often integrated into a comprehensive document management system or CRM or ERP system. This also enables the much more complex third-party signature or remote signature. This means that I can also release a self-signed document for signature, define complex signature sequences and workflows, and so on. 

Especially in the professional environment, solutions are increasingly gaining acceptance that specialize in the comprehensive signing of PDF documents and offer the highest security standards and, above all, very simple user guidance. The digital signing of PDF documents via the web browser can basically be divided into three essential components. 




**Contract management:**

Here, as mentioned, the gap is wide. The minimum criteria for a web tool is the ability to upload documents (with most applications, files are automatically converted into the common PDF format) and to download them again after the signature or to store them as securely as possible. Comprehensive tools also enable intelligent management and overview of all important documents in a central location.

**The digital signature of documents:**

The core element of all online signature tools is the application of the digital signature to a contract document. Applying a valid digital signature to a PDF document is a technical process that must be clearly distinguished from simply inserting an image of a manual signature without any further technical measures!

In particular, a valid digital signature allows subsequent changes to the document to be detected. This is not the case with the simple insertion of images.
Technically, for a digital signature, the content of the document is firmly linked to the applied signature. The visual appearance of the signature on the document is primarily informative and not relevant for the (technical) validity. sproof sign, for example, supports the insertion of images of a signature or the manual signature on the screen, but also creates a complete digital signature in the background.
Another level of digital signatures are qualified digital signatures. These involve verification of the signer by a trust service provider. These are organizations that perform an extensive identity check on a person or an organization and link the identity to the signature in the course of digital signing. Qualified digital signatures thus have a special legal status equivalent to that of handwritten signatures.


**Signature Management & Workflows:**

The full potential of signature platforms becomes apparent when it comes to sending out secure and compliant signature requests to others. E.g. sproof sign makes it possible to delegate different tasks (e.g. signing documents, viewing documents, forwarding documents) to different people. The communication happens on the one hand within the WebApp and on the other hand via mail traffic. In this way, nothing can get lost. The automated delegation also makes it easier to manage signature processes and to meet deadlines and time limits. In addition, it is possible to define substitutes, set absence notes, specify signature sequences, and define the standard that should be used for signing. 

## Quality first. - The quality criteria of web-based signature tools

The benefits of digital signatures are many and varied. Here is a list of the most important quality features of advanced e-signature tools:


**Cloud availability and security:**.

Online contracts are available anytime and anywhere as long as you have access to the Internet. The 24/7 availability is the great advantage of secure cloud solutions. However, very strict care should be taken to rely on a safe and secure storage environment that is protected from unauthorized access, loss and misuse. For cloud applications, special care should be taken to ensure that the tool is 100% hosted on European servers.


**Trustworthiness of digital signatures:**

In addition, attention should be paid to how one can or must prove one's own identity. A simple electronic signature (SES) offers no legal protection and should never be used for signatures in a corporate context. For the highest level of security, the qualified electronic signature (QES), which is the benchmark in Europe according to the eIDAS regulation, should be used. In fact, the choice of signature provider is of particular importance and a certain basic knowledge of the three different signature standards is required in order to be able to map the use cases in one's own company in the best possible way. 

**Verify applied electronic signatures:**

Another great thing is that e-signatures are verifiable forever and ever.  The information about every step of the signature process - from start to finish - including the applied signatures and the unique identity of the signer(s) are inseparably anchored in the pdf document for all time. Comprehensive e-signature solutions (such as sproof sign) allow verification directly on the platform. 

**Collaboration:**

Signing is a team effort. Sign internally or get approvals from external stakeholders. It is important to be able to manage your team very easily with an admin account. New users should be able to be added very easily and the pool of available signature units must be able to be increased very easily. 

**Compliance:**

It is mandatory for companies to comply with applicable laws and regulations, especially with regard to secure and legally compliant document and data storage in the European area. A few tools (e.g. sproof sign) rely on the very high PDF/A document standard. 

**Conclusion:**

It's time to sign. Web-based e-signature services are an interesting and useful way to simplify business processes and save time and effort. In a business context, it is important that it meets all relevant requirements for the particular use case. 

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Die Qualitätskriterien web-basierter E-Signatur-Tools

Verträge rechtsgültig online unterschreiben (und unterschreiben lassen) – das müssen Sie wissen

Signing contracts legally online (and having them signed) - what you need to know

Was ist eine digitale Signatur? Was ist der Unterschied zwischen einer elektronischen und einer digitalen Signatur? Wir klären auf.

Die digitale Signatur einfach erklärt

Sony

Österreichisches Rotes Kreuz

Maschinenring

Pöttinger

Kyocera

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the digital signature workflow saves the company.

12 weeks

292 working days

9350 documents

Ingrid Putzhammer

18 weeks

45 days

180 documents

Adrian Bhoucheri

Everything about the digital signature. Get a perfect overview.

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The digital signature for European enterprises. This e-book provides valuable information, inspiration, or a jump-start to introducing a 100% legally valid and GDPR-compliant signature platform.

Everything about the digital signature. Get a perfect overview.

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