The importance of appointing a data protection officer
16 noviembre 2021
The forgery of handwritten signatures can have serious consequences, not only for the forger, who faces a prison sentence of three to six years (Article 390.1 of the Criminal Code), but also for the person who is the object of this misdeed, due to the reputational and financial damage that this forgery may have caused.
The final farewell to handwritten signatures
Handwritten signatures on paper have given way to electronic signatures, which, thanks to the technology they implement, not only make it possible to sign a document from anywhere in the world, but are also more secure and efficient, guaranteeing interactions by electronic means between companies, citizens and public administrations.
ANF Autoridad de Certificación's electronic signatures are subject to a Signature Policy that guarantees the legal security of electronic transactions. These signatures are long-standing and incorporate in all formats: validation at source, time stamp and the possibility of multiple signatories.
What is a qualified electronic signature?
An electronic signature is a set of electronic data that accompanies or is associated with an electronic document, the basic characteristics of which are as follows
- Identification of the signatory, in an unequivocal manner.
- It guarantees the integrity of the signed document. It ensures that the signed document has not been altered or manipulated.
- It guarantees the non-repudiation of the signed document. The signatory cannot claim that he has not signed the document.
- Same legal validity as a handwritten signature and full legal effectiveness with direct evidence.
- More efficient business procedures and therefore significant cost reduction and profit increase.
- Increased customer confidence.
According to Article 25(2) of the eIDAS Regulation, a qualified electronic signature has a legal effect equivalent to a handwritten signature.
What types of electronic signatures are recognised by law?
Within electronic signatures, the eIDAS distinguishes three types of electronic signatures (Art. 3 eIDAS) - from the lowest to the highest - based on the level of security they provide up to the highest level, the qualified electronic signature, which is characterised by its legal equivalence to a handwritten signature:
- Electronic signature (basic): data in electronic format added to or associated with other data used by the signatory to sign.
- Advanced electronic signature (AdES): A signature made with a qualified electronic signature certificate. It meets the security requirements of Article 26 of the eIDAS Regulation:
- it is uniquely linked to the signatory;
- Allows the identification of the signatory;
- It has been created using the electronic signature creation data. High level of trust. It is under the sole control of the signatory.
- Any subsequent modification is detectable.
- Qualified Electronic Signature (QES): Advanced electronic signature that provides an additional level of assurance on the identity of the signatory and a higher level of security on the creation of the signature. This is because it is generated by a qualified electronic signature creation device (QSCD). .
- The qualified electronic signature has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature.
- A qualified electronic signature based on a qualified certificate issued in one Member State will be recognised in the other Member States of the European Union.
The legal basis for e-Signatures is laid down in Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS Regulation) and in Law 6/2020 of 11 November regulating certain aspects of electronic trust services.
ANF AC as a Qualified Trust Service Provider and Software manufacturer
Assumes the responsibility of providing the necessary technology to ensure the legal security of electronic transactions.
All our electronic signatures and seals include online status verification (OCSP), and qualified electronic time stamps. We also include the remaining attributes to ensure long-term validation and, where necessary, re-stamping.
Our flexible and efficient technology allows you the following possibilities for any type of scenario:
- Qualified Electronic Certificate in Smartcard (QSCD)
- Qualified Electronic Certificate in key distribution
- Centralised Qualified Electronic Certificate (Cloud ANF AC)
- Qualified Electronic Signature
- Remote Qualified Electronic Signature
- Advanced Electronic Signature of Long Validity
- Signature Software desktop/web/API version
Manage your professional activity from anywhere in the world, forget about travelling. Save time and money. Streamline procedures and expand your customer base. Trust ANF AC; our experience and professionalism support us.
If you would like to know more about our products and services and find out which one best suits your needs, you can visit our web page https://www.anf.es/en/