What is a digital signature?

There are many different definitions for the digital signature, but the term "electronic signature" meets very specific constraints, requirements and standards.

The electronic signature corresponds to standards defined by national and international regulations which are, for example, ESIGN (Electronic Signatures in Global and National) in the United States, and eIDAS (electronic IDentification, Authentification and trust Service) in France and throughout Europe.

These standards and norms have as a common base the use of asymmetric cryptography mechanisms recognized as being the most efficient procedures to ensure the integrity and authenticity of electronic data. They allow the electronic signature to have a value equal to the handwritten signature or even stronger and thus to be admissible in court as evidence or as a beginning of evidence.

The technical regulatory constraints, for the electronic signature to be applicable and recognized as such, vary according to the criticality level of the document to be signed.

Why use a digital signature?

With digitalization, more and more companies are switching to electronic signatures.
This change of method is linked to all the advantages that this more modern and interesting practice offers.

This electronic signature allows companies to :

Secure processes and documents,
Save time,
Reduce costs (printing, paper, ink)
Increase productivity
Sign documents from a phone or computer,
Keep all the archives at hand
Keep a traceability (documents available online)
Adapting to new technologies

The simple electronic signature (SES)

The simple electronic signature is applicable to any legal act between individuals or private actors. This includes, but is not limited to, the following documents :

Contrats

Accounting documents

Order forms

Mandates

Invoices

Authorizations

Acknowledgement of receipt

The simple electronic signature is achievable through the standard use of our KEYMO™ stamp and its application.

Advanced electronic signature (AES)

The advanced electronic signature requires an identification process (or KYC) before signing.

This process can be done either within the company itself by its own means or through a trusted external actor.

In fact, some private interlocutors will be more demanding and, judging that the content of the documents to be signed requires an additional level of security, will request this type of signature.

Some entities therefore sometimes require this type of signature for qualified signatures (SEQ).

The qualified signature (SEQ)

The qualified electronic signature is the ultimate level of security that can be provided in the context of the electronic signature.

This type of signature is used in very specific cases for documents related to regulated commercial activities, corporations or in the public domain. The documents that most often require this signature are :

Notarial acts

Court Decisions

Bailiffs' documents

Certain public contracts (tenders, contracts, invoices)

Lawyers' documents

Banking institution documents

Qualified electronic signature is achievable through the advanced use of our application and highlights the embedded technology of the KEYMO™ stamp.

Certification of our KEYMO™ product for this type of signature is underway and will be available very soon.

Similar to the advanced electronic signature with qualified certificate, this time you will need to hand the KEYMO™ stamp to the trusted third party provider of the qualified certificate so that they can also qualify the KEYMO™ stamp with their qualified certificate as a whole before handing it to you.

Eventually, the KEYMO™ stamp for this type of signature will be distributed directly by the trusted third party.

Sign electronically with the KEYMO™ stamp

Discover the unique stamp that allows you to seal and sign digital documents wherever you are without network connection and without paying a subscription.

DISCOVER OUR DIGITAL STAMP

KEYMO - electronic signature and stamp without subscription

Manage and protect your digital signatures

The KEYMO™ buffer allows you to protect the buffering acts with a PIN code that you set up front.

The entire electronic stamp data is protected in an ultra-secure component of the KEYMO™ stamp. This component is none other than the same component used in bank cards and ID/passport cards.

To learn more about other electronic signature formats, go to the following sections.

Other electronic signature formats

Digital stamp

Just like the ink pad, set up your digital stamp to affix using the KEYMO™ and its mobile, tablet, or PC app.

LEARN MORE

Digital seal

Associated with a qualified certificate, you will be able to load your company, administration and/or service stamp. This will allow you to seal the integrity of your document and confirm its authenticity.