| The legal validity of digital signatures has changed the | | | | popular and stable in any form of social or business |
| landscape for e-commerce globally. Along with popular | | | | environment. The emphasis is given simulating ideas, |
| applications like e-banking, e-tendering, and | | | | which are established, or have gained popular ground. |
| e-procurement, e-approvals, etc., the wagon of | | | | Worldwide legislations have fueled their acceptance in |
| e-commerce is reaching new milestones everyday | | | | every possible business that we can think of. From |
| with the help of legally valid digital signatures. While | | | | banking to insurance, and from health care to retail, |
| assuring authentication and non-repudiation, PKI | | | | common consensus is moving towards digitally signed |
| technology maintains integrity and confidentiality of | | | | electronic documents, saving time, money, and paper. |
| digitally signed electronic documents. | | | | Needless to say, organizations will adopt tools that |
| Several countries have now come up with laws | | | | are affordable, and yet faster and simpler than |
| assigning legal validity to digital signatures, and are | | | | traditional ones. This so-called 'cost-effective' business |
| making their use mandatory in the applications, which | | | | approach is at the core of growing paperless |
| deal with sensitive data. | | | | environment. As we move ahead, the scope for |
| In today's 'small' world, organizations are utilizing 'big' | | | | paperless procedures will become broader. |
| tricks like Internet to reap maximum business | | | | Every industry, irrespective of its functionalities, is |
| benefits. And legality associated with digital signatures | | | | adopting digital signatures in one or the other way. |
| is helping them in generating pace and profits within | | | | From external communications to internal |
| their business ideas. Now, Let us have a look at | | | | communications, digitally signed electronic documents |
| some of the digital/electronic signature laws and | | | | have changed the way communications take place. |
| regulations across the world put in place to | | | | Faster, simpler, yet secure and confidential, these |
| encourage e-transactions: | | | | communications have ignited the competition |
| · ESIGN Act (Electronic Signature in Global | | | | amongst businesses like never before. |
| and National Commerce Act) | | | | In the passage of time, digital signatures have |
| · UETA (Uniform Electronic Commerce Act) | | | | become a tool to garner customers' confidence and |
| · GPEA (Government Paperwork Elimination | | | | support. But at the core is legal validity. From banking |
| Act) | | | | transactions to medial records, and from online loan |
| · EU law (EU Directive for Electronic | | | | applications to tendering, digital signatures have the |
| Signatures) | | | | 'Golden Touch' to transform hectic business |
| · US DoD JITC (Joint Interoperability Test | | | | processes into simpler ones. |
| Command) | | | | Therefore, a tool for securing the integrity of digitally |
| · Health Insurance Portability and | | | | signed documents; the legal validity is pumping the |
| Accountability Act (HIPAA) | | | | acceptance of digital signatures in various |
| · SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act) | | | | environments. This legal validity is not only helping the |
| · 21 CFR Part 11 | | | | end users, but also organizations to reach out to |
| · Indian IT Act 2000 | | | | larger customer base with innovation and simplicity. |
| Anything, which is legal, takes less time to become | | | | |