Electronic signature audit trail: explained with a real example of Autenti’s Signature Cards

One of the greatest strengths of e-signatures is the security and transparency they provide.

Signing documents electronically, you can be sure that the other party will validate their signature, even with simple methods such as two-factor authentication with their email address or phone number—making it pretty secure.

To further enhance the security you can check the identity of the person signing the document, verifying their ID documentation, use more advanced e-signatures, such as a Qualified Electronic Signature that uses advanced encryption technology, Public Key Infrastructure, and more to keep your signatures safe.

But besides just being extremely secure no matter the e-signature type, electronic signatures also offer full transparency over the whole process.

Thanks to something called an electronic signature audit trail you can always check the authenticity of the placed signatures, verify the exact date and time of the placed signatures, check the IP addresses of the devices used for signing, and be sure that the document remains tamper-free after signing.

How?

We explain it all below.

Table of contents

1. What is an electronic signature audit trail?
2. Audit trail: must-have characteristics
3. Real example: audit trails in Autenti
4. Signature Card
5. How can you use audit trails and Autenti’s Signature Cards?
6. Keep your documents and signatures secure with Autenti
7. Frequently asked questions

What is an electronic signature audit trail?

An electronic signature audit trail is essentially a record of the e-signing process, documenting the when, where, and how of the placed electronic signatures.

The audit trail backs the credibility of the signatures, and if needed, can serve as legal evidence in any disputes or proceedings.

Just like witnesses to a handwritten, wet ink signature check for ID documentation before a signature is placed on a document, ensuring a valid process—electronic signature audit trail ensures the same (or even more security), but digitally.

It lists all the essential details for each electronic signature placed on a given document and comes with electronic seals that guarantee the document remains tamper-free after signing.

Audit trail: must-have characteristics

A valid electronic signature audit trail data should contain the following information:

• Identification details: name and surname of the person signing the document, but also the IP address of the device used for placing the signature.
• Verification details: showing how each signature placed on the document has been verified, whether by email, SMS code, video conference or a different method.
• Time and date: recording the exact time and date when each signature has been placed electronically, as well the exact date and time of starting the process of collecting signatures.
• Any changes: to ensure proper integrity of a document, the audit trail also tracks any possible changes made to the signed document.
  

Real example: audit trails in Autenti

A real-life example of an effective electronic signature audit trail is issued by Autenti Signature Card included in each digitally signed document as the last page, for easy reference of the most important details.

Autenti is an electronic signature software platform that makes going paperless easier than ever. With it, you’re getting access to three main types of e-signatures used:

• Simple Electronic Signatures (SES): perfectly suitable for signing 90% of documents in business transactions, including cooperation agreement or contracts for sale of movable property. Validated using simple methods, such as two-factor authentication using signer’s email address or phone number with a unique code.
• Advanced Electronic Signatures (AES): ideal for more complex contracts and clauses. This e-signature type allows you to verify the identity of the person signing the document, reviewing their ID documents, for example by photographing it.
• Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES): a digital signature perfect for the most tricky contracts, such as those that transfer copyrights. Qualified signatures seem complex, but aren’t when done with the right provider, like Autenti. Here, you’ll have access to over 170 QES providers across Europe, while those signing the documents will be able to smoothly validate their identities with the Certificate Authorities, even completely online.

Now, given the fact that Autenti is a completely secure platform, adhering to global and EU-based standards, like ISO 27001, GDPR, or offering full compliance with eIDAS—each signature is properly processed and recorded, with an audit trail included for each signed document.

Signature Card

Serving as a visualization of the placed electronic signatures, but also encompassing all the crucial details for an audit trail, Autenti issues a Signature Card for each signed document.

The Signature Card contains all the information an e-signature audit trail must have to serve as a valid record of the digital signing process, including:

• ID of the signed document,
• name and surname of the persons signing the document electronically,
• additional details of the signers (if applicable), such as email address or their tax identification numbers,
• recorded digital signatures along with all the details of them, such as validation methods used, date and exact time of placing them, as well as IP addresses of the devices used for signing.

Autenti’s Signature Card also includes two Autenti-issued seals for the signed document—one for starting the signing process, the second for finalizing it.

The electronic seal issued for each document after the signatures have been collected with Autenti ensures that the document will not be tampered with after signing.

How can you use audit trails and Autenti’s Signature Cards?

Thanks to audit trails, like the Autenti Signature Card, you can:

• easily verify who signed a given document and what type of e-signature was used to sign it,
• check the date and time when the signatures and electronic seals were applied, giving you easy access to the document’s history,
• confirm the authenticity of the documentation,
• rely on the audit trail to resolve disputes by offering clear evidence of actions taken throughout the signing process, as well as all the information about it,
• trust that the document’s integrity is intact because the audit trail confirms no changes were made after the signature was applied,
• enhance security and spot unauthorized access or any attempts to tamper with the document by tracking the action taken with the document and signatures submitted.

All in all, e-signature audit trails give you that one place to not only track each signature and check its details, but also to confirm it is fully tamper-free.

Keep your documents and signatures secure with Autenti

Autenti is a Trust Service Provider, ensuring proper security and transparency with every e-signature.

Sign documents online and easily verify the authenticity and integrity of electronic signatures with Autenti.

For each signed document, Autenti will issue a Signature Card that will serve as an admissible in court audit trail of each e-signature, including:

• exact time and date for each placed signature,
• verification methods used,
• IP addresses of the devices used for signing,
• Autenti-backed seals for starting the signing process and finalizing it,
• document ID number,
• name, surname, and other details of the persons signing the document.

You’ll find the Signature Card included as the last page in the signed document, which you can easily go back to trace the document history, check the authenticity of the signatures, and more.

Try the Autenti platform for free for the whole 14 days and check just how easy going paperless can be.

Sign documents using three different electronic signatures types, don’t worry about any document limits, and enjoy an intuitive online platform.

Frequently asked questions

What is an electronic signature audit trail?

An electronic signature audit trail is an audit log or certificate of completion for the electronically signed document, recording all the essential details about the signatures placed. Such information, besides just giving you a piece of mind when signing digitally, can also safely serve as legal evidence in disputes. Basically confirming the validity of electronic signatures.

Which information should an audit trail have?

Audit trails for each electronically signed document should record the most important information about each e-signature placed on the document and about the signed document. Example details include IP addresses of the devices used for each signature, exact date and time of each e-signature, or verification methods used for each signature.

Does Autenti provide an e-signature audit trail?

Since Autenti is a fully compliant with eIDAS e-signature provider, it does make an audit report or audit trail for each signed document. At Autenti, the audit trail comes in the form of a Signature Card that encompasses all the crucial details an audit trail should have, contains electronic seals that ensure the document won’t be tampered with, and visualize the e-signatures placed on the document.

Can you use the e-signature audit trail as legal evidence in court cases?

Yes, you can use the e-signature audit trail as legal evidence in court cases since electronic signatures are globally recognized as legally binding. Various regulations across the world set the standards for e-signing, such as eIDAS in Europe, E-Sign Act in the United States, or ZertES in Switzerland. The audit trails prove to show complete transparency for each e-signature placed digitally, showing the exact date and time of each signature, IP addresses of the devices used for signing, and even verification methods—this all makes it easy to review their authenticity, even in court cases.