Electronic signature verification: how to verify each e-signature type?

Are traditional handwritten signatures the epitome of security?

Well, it depends on how well the process of verifying the signer’s identity is completed. Is there an additional witness or a notary person present? Is the identity documentation checked against the personal information lined out in the document?

If yes, the traditional signature can be deemed rather secure. If not, there is a possibility that the signature may not be valid. After all, how hard is it to forge a wet ink signature?

Now, think about electronic signatures, and especially the more advanced ones, like Simple Electronic Signature (SES) or even digital signatures, like Advanced Electronic Signature (AES) or Qualified Electronic Signature (QES).

To tamper with these signatures, you’ll need a more specific knowledge than just using a pen. In fact, electronic signatures are pretty difficult, almost impossible to be forged, and even in the case of such an incident happening—it’s easy to spot it.

In this article, we’ll talk about how secure electronic signatures actually are and, most importantly, how to verify whether they’re valid or not using different electronic signature verification methods.

Table of contents

1. How to verify an electronic signature?
2. Electronic signature verification methods: table summary
3. How are SES signatures secure?
4. How are digital signatures secure?
5. Signature Card
6. Autenti Validator & Broker ID: verify existing signatures and customers’ identities
7. Autenti: SES, AES, QES—all verified on a single platform
8. Frequently asked questions

How to verify an electronic signature?

There are different electronic signature verification methods you can use, depending on the e-signature type used and the provider or platform you’re choosing to use.

With Autenti, you can be sure that the electronic signatures you collect will be verified using email or SMS validation for SES signatures, and PKI technology, digital certificates, video verification, identity documents validation, and more for digital signatures.

To serve as a confirmation of electronic signature verification, each signed document includes an additional Signature Card that encompasses all signatures submitted on a given document with all the essential information stapled to it. 

Said data includes IP addresses of the devices used for signing, date and time of signing, methods of identity verification used, and electronic seals issued by Autenti—one for starting the signing process and second for finalizing it.

We’re going to go over each e-signature verification method described above and explain which methods are used most commonly with which e-signature types.

Electronic signature verification methods: table summary

How are SES signatures secure?

First, Simple Electronic Signatures (SES).

SES signatures are secure, given their electronic form and compliance with international laws and regulation, like the eIDAS regulation in Europe. Providers of electronic signatures have to obey the directives and set out by governments standards, making each e-sign procedure as secure as possible.

Now, given their secure nature, Simple Electronic Signatures serve a perfect signing method for numerous documents, making them pretty universal. In fact, 90% of documents in business transactions can be safely signed with SES signatures online.

Documents like regular contracts of employment and cooperation, contract for the sale of movable property, or service provision agreements—can all be signed with SES.

SES signatures are verified using essential personal information of the signer, either with a simple email validation or an additional SMS verification to further seal the procedure.

Email validation

To send a document to be signed with a SES signature via Autenti, you simply need to provide the other party's email address.

Then, a link will be sent to the recipient’s email inbox, which will redirect them to the signing panel.

There, they can confirm their identity and electronically sign the document. The data used for verification—their email address and IP address of the used device—is then linked to the signer’s name and surname.

All this information is then attached to the signed document, right in the Signature Card on the final page.

SMS validation

To add an additional layer of authorizing a SES signature, you can choose to require an SMS validation to be completed by the person signing the document.

In that case, the signer receives a unique code sent to their phone number, which they then have to confirm to complete the signing process.

You can think of it as a two-factor (2FA) authentication, often used as a double security layer when logging into different applications, whether desktop or mobile.

With an added SMS validation, all three pieces of data, including the signer’s email address, IP address of the device used for signing the document, and the connected phone number, are linked to that person’s name and surname.

How are digital signatures secure?

Digital signatures are a special type of electronic signature that differs from Simple Electronic Signatures (SES) in the authorization process used.

Digital signatures work with advanced mathematical algorithms and PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) technology to sign and verify documents.

They rely on private and public keys to create and check unique hash codes, ensuring that the document hasn’t been tampered with. Digital certificates, issued by trusted Certificate Authorities (CAs), bind the signer’s verified identity to the document, guaranteeing its authenticity and integrity.

An additional layer of authorization comes from qualified electronic timestamps, which confirm the exact date and time a document was signed and ensure it hasn’t been altered since.

Digital signatures can be used for more demanding documents, for example, including more intricate clauses, like copyright transfers.

Setting the technical jargon aside, let’s see how exactly digital signatures are verified, and there are a few ways to complete that process.

Identity documents verification

One of the ways to verify a digital signature, applicable to Advanced Electronic Signatures (AES) specifically, is by verifying the signer’s ID document online.

To verify the identity documentation online, you ask the signer to photograph their document, and to be even more sure:

• participate in a video verification holding the ID document in front of a camera,
• photograph the ID document and then take a selfie with that same document,
• participate in a short video verification, including a liveness check to ensure no cases of masks or otherwise handled fraud are committed.

The identity documentation allows passport, ID, and driver’s license documents to be used for the verification process.

An additional identity verification method for residents of Poland with ID cards issued after 2019 is by verifying the electronic data tied to their specific documentation’s electronic chip.

Online banking

Another method of digital signature verification, specifically a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES), is via online banking.

Online banking is completely tied to one’s identity and securely verified before an account is opened in the first place. That’s why, using online banking as a way of verifying one’s identity is completely reliable.

To complete that process, all the signer needs to do is either log into their online banking account and confirm the transfer of personal information shared in order to digitally sign a document or agree to a transfer of a small amount of money, for example 0.01 EUR.

A huge benefit of the online banking method is the fact that it can be completed quite quickly.

Certificate Authorities

The last identity verification method used for digital signatures is one with a Certificate Authority.

A Certificate Authority is a special entity that verifies signers’ identities for the more complex or intricate documents. It gives utmost security, but it’s also quite simple to complete.

The identity verification in this case usually requires joining a video conference with a Certificate Authority, which is as simple as taking a business meeting at work.

If you’d prefer to complete the identity verification in person, you may simply greet the verifying party at your place of residence, and confirm your identity with them—without having to visit the Certificate Authority in person.

Signature Card

No matter the signature you need or decide to use, Autenti will generate and attach a unique Signature Card, containing all the important signature details, including IP numbers of the devices used, methods of identification used, and more.

In the Signature Card, you’ll also find electronic seals verified with a qualified certificate, issued by Autenti. The first seal is applied when the electronic document is sent for signing, and the second one when all electronic signatures have been completed.

Each seal contains information about the time it was created and guarantees that the document’s content has remained unchanged since it was sent and that all parties signed the same document version.

With it, you confirm the authenticity of the documentation and, if needed, use the document as evidence in any related dispute.

Autenti Validator & Broker ID: verify existing signatures and customers’ identities

What about the signatures you suspect could have been forged, or you collected on a different platform you’re no longer sure of?

There is still a way to verify existing electronic signatures, and you can easily do that with Autenti Validator.

The e-signature validator makes it easy to verify the authenticity of various electronic signatures and seals in just a few quick steps.

With the Autenti Validator, you can be completely sure that the document hasn’t been tampered with or altered without permission.

Once the process is done, you can download a Validation Attestation—a detailed report showing the verification results, which can serve as solid evidence in legal situations.

That way, you’ll be able to verify even existing electronic signatures.

But besides just verifying signatures, sometimes you may feel the need to verify the identity of your customers before proceeding to the signing process in the first place.

Enter Autenti Broker ID—an advanced platform designed for quick, secure, and fully remote identity verification, customized to fit your business needs.

You can choose from various identification methods discussed earlier, including video verification, e-identity cards, online banking, and electronic signatures, to easily collect or confirm customer information.

You can seamlessly integrate it with your existing systems, making identity management effortless.

Autenti: SES, AES, QES—all verified on a single platform

All three electronic signature types we’ve described above are available on one platform—Autenti, along with all the verification methods analyzed above.

Verify electronic signatures and sign documents online with Autenti, the easy way.

Start your 14-day free trial with no credit card details here.

Frequently asked questions

How are Simple Electronic Signatures secure?

Simple Electronic Signatures (SES) are secure due to their compliance with international laws and regulations, such as the eIDAS regulation in Europe. These regulations ensure that electronic signatures are as secure as physical signatures. Sometimes even more secure because these are actually verifiable signatures, with methods like SMS authorization or IP address connection with signer’s name and surname. Check out electronic signature examples to learn more about them.

How are SES signatures verified?

SES signatures are verified through a simple process that ensures the validity of electronic signatures. This is typically done by using email validation or SMS verification, linking the signer’s personal details (like email and phone number) to the document.

How are digital signatures secure?

Digital signatures are secure thanks to the PKI technology and other secure methods used. The process involves using public and private keys in combination with encryption and trust services. The signer’s private key is used to create the signature, and the recipient uses the corresponding public key to verify it. If the document has been altered in any way, the signature will not match the hash code generated.

How are digital signatures verified?

There are several ways to validate a digital signature, from logging into an online banking account to sharing a photograph of one’s identity documentation, recording a short video, or participating in a video conference with Certificate Authority.

What do you need to verify an electronic signature?

To verify an electronic signature, you’ll need electronic signature software that can perform e-signature verification. This software ensures that the signature is valid by checking the signer’s identity and the document’s integrity. It can validate the signature through different methods such as email validation, SMS verification, or using more advanced techniques like digital certificates for higher security.

How can existing signatures be verified?

Existing signatures can be verified using tools like Autenti Validator, which makes it easy to check the authenticity of electronic signatures. By uploading the document to the platform, you can verify the signature’s validity and ensure that it hasn’t been tampered with. The system provides a detailed report, called a Validation Attestation, which confirms the verification results and can be used as evidence in legal disputes.