An electronic signature is symbol a person includes
in an electronic document with the intention of identifying himself
or herself. For example, e-mail can be signed electronically by embedding
a graphic of a handwritten signature in the e-mail (www.signature-mail.com
offers this service). In simple circumstances, parties might agree to
sign their e-mails simply by typing in their names at the end of the
message.
An electronic signature is generally defined as any
letters, characters, or symbols manifested by electronic or similar
means and executed or adopted by a party with an intent to authenticate
a writing. Examples include
a name typed at the end of an e-mail message by the
sender,
a digitized image of a handwritten signature that
is attached to an electronic document,
a PIN number or a code that the sender of the message
uses to identify himself.
Digital signatures are a subset of electronic signatures. It is important
to understand the differences between digital signatures and other forms
of electronic signatures as digital signature technology serves a much
more specialized market than plain electronic signatures and poses special
legal issues. A digital signature is not a signature in the traditional
sense. It is based on a strictly regulated exchange of digital number
combinations and therefore requires that the user has both a card reader
with the relevant software and a chip card. This card contains the 'private
key', which is a code made up of a combination of numbers. A person
ordering goods or transferring money over the Internet signs using his
private key, which is protected by a PIN (personal identification number).
The recipient of the data verifies the digital signature with the sender's
'public key' and thereby confirms that the information is genuine.
