Digital Signatures (CoSign) Solution

Digital signatures

Digital signature solutions produce legally enforceable electronic records, closing the gap towards going fully paperless by completely eliminating the need to print documents for signing. Digital (secure, electronic) signatures enable the replacement of slow and expensive paper-based approval processes with a fast, low-cost, and completely automated process. By enabling a fully automated workflow, digital signatures reduce the expense and time that paper-based signatures require.

Digital Signature Technology

The system uses the following components:

Signer’s Identity: the signer’s ID is embedded in the signed document.
Signer’s Intent: a combination of 2nd ID-challenge and Reason Code.
Document Integrity: Data cannot be changed without being invalidated.

Key Benefits

Expedite Processes: speed up business processes by eliminating slow, paper-based approvals.

Reduce Costs: associated with printing, scanning, archiving, routing and replacing lost documents.

Industry and Legal Compliance: specifically designed to protect document integrity, the CoSign digital signature solution assists in compliance with numerous regulations including ESIGN, EU directives and VAT law, HIPAA (and JCAHO), the FDA’S 21 CFR Part 11, USDA, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The solution allows personal as well as organisational reporting.

Seal Document: CoSign's design ensures that anyone can verify the signature and content integrity of a signed document anywhere, at any time, with a simple click – and it allows multiple signatures to be placed on a document (one after another) while maintaining the document’s integrity. In addition, its reporting capability is in line with audit requirements.

Go Green: Digital signature solutions save a considerable amount in paper and emissions by enabling organisations to go completely paperless. Trees are saved by eliminating the need for paper-based processes such as faxing, printing, scanning and archiving. Emissions are reduced by eradicating the need to ship documents by land or by air.

Management

Backup and restoring of the appliance's encrypted database
Secure loading of digitally signed firmware updates
Easy system parameter settings
A user management tool is provided for directory-independent installations
The CoSign audit log enables administrators to closely track private key usage (when documents are signed and by whom).

Security

CoSign is designed for FIPS 140-2 Level 3
Only approved standard algorithms are used
Self Tests are performed to ensure the integrity of the CoSign firmware and database
When used properly it is impossible for someone to copyyour signature
Your electronic signature applies to the entire document
Protection for the integrity of the data – you can be sure that data has not been maliciously altered
Proof of message transmission (time stamping) – businesses can use third-party authorities to verify the transmission dates and times of critical electronic messages for legal and commercial purposes
Protection against repudiation – strong evidence provided that a message and its contents were signed and sent. This means that if a contractual dispute did arise, the sender could not deny knowledge of the message