Frequently Asked Questions

Secured Signing is a web application Software as a Service that allows you to fill-in and sign legally binding documents online using the secured Personalised X509 PKI Digital Signature technology.

The service enables a registered user to receive a unique private key for signing, add a document to the system, sign it digitally, invite a third party if required and send it to parties involved to sign. Anyone who took part in the signing process or has received the signed document is able to verify signature(s) on their desktop or by using our Online Verification service. The signing process is secured, simple, and accomplished in minutes.

Yes! While documents sent by fax and mail are exposed throughout intra-office distribution, electronic documents are kept completely confidential and are viewed only by designated recipients. By using Personalised X509 PKI Digital Signature technology, documents signed with Secured Signing online service, cannot be misplaced, lost, or destroyed, and can’t be change within secured signing service.

Electronic signatures are legally binding in many countries worldwide. Secured signing service complies with ESIGN, UETA, Electronic Transactions Acts, and many more.

Some Legislation worldwide:

Australian Capital Territory -ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS ACT 2001
Australia, New South Wales (NSW) - ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS ACT 2000
Australia, Northern Territory (NT) - ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS ACT 2000
Australia, QLD - ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS (QUEENSLAND) ACT 2001
Australia, VIC - ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS (VICTORIA) ACT 2000
Australia, SA - ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS ACT 2000
Australia, WA - ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS ACT 2003
Australia Tasmania - ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS ACT 2000
Canada - Uniform Electronic Commerce Act (UECA)
China - Electronic Signature Law of the People's Republic of China
Europe - EU Directive for Electronic Signatures (1999/93/EC)
Europe – EU VAT Directive
New Zealand - Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017
South Africa - Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 2002
UK - Electronic Communications Act 2000 (chapter 7)
U.S. - Electronic Signature in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN)
U.S. - Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA)- adopted by 48 states

Documents sent regularly using Secured Signing service include contracts, non-disclosure agreements (NDA), proposal acceptances, change orders, Ad proofs, expense reports, purchase orders, rental/ lease agreements, independent contractor agreements, time sheets, and many more.

You should be aware that certain countries statutes dictate how documents should be signed for which digital signing may not be valid. For example, but without limitation, the following types of documents SHOULD NOT be signed in Australia and New Zealand using our digital signing services: Wills, Documents transferring an interest in land, Powers of attorney, and Deeds.

WE MAKE NO REPRESENTATION WHATSOEVER THAT ANY DOCUMENT WHICH YOU ARE PROPOSING TO SIGN USING OUR DIGITAL SIGNING SERVICES MAY BE VALIDLY SIGNED IN THAT MANNER. YOU NEED TO SATISFY YOURSELF THAT THE DOCUMENT YOU ARE PROPOSING TO SIGN USING OUR DIGITAL SIGNING SERVICES IS CAPABLE OF BEING SIGNED IN THAT MANNER.

Electronic signatures are defined as an electronic sound (e.g., audio files of a person's voice), symbol (e.g., a graphic representation of a person in JPEG file), or process (e.g., a procedure that conveys assent), attached to or logically associated with a record, and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record. An electronic signature is easy to implement, since something as simple as a typed name can serve as one. Consequently, electronic signatures are very problematic with regards to maintaining integrity and security, as there is nothing to prevent one individual from typing another individual's name. Due to this reality, electronic signatures that do not incorporate additional measures of security are considered an insecure way of signing documentation.

Digital signatures (standard electronic signatures) take the concept of traditional paper-based signing and turn it into an electronic "fingerprint.” This "fingerprint,” or coded message, is unique to both the document and the signer and binds both of them together. The digital signature ensures the authenticity of the signer. Any changes made to the document after it is signed invalidate the signature, thereby protecting against signature forgery and information tampering. Digital signatures sustain signer authenticity, accountability, data integrity and non-repudiation of documents and transactions.

Digital signatures often referred to as advanced or standard electronic signatures are a sub group with electronic signatures which provide the highest form of signature and content integrity as well as universal acceptance. Digital signatures are based on Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and are a result of a cryptographic operation that guarantees signer authenticity, data integrity and non-repudiation of signed documents. The digital signature cannot be copied, tampered or altered. In addition, because they are based on standard PKI technology, signatures made within one application (e.g. Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF) can be validated by others using the same applications. On the other hand, an electronic signature is a proprietary format (there is no standard for electronic signatures) that is an electronic data, such as a digitised image of a handwritten signature, a symbol, voiceprint, etc. that identifies the author of an electronic message. Electronic signatures are vulnerable to copying and tampering, making forgery easy. In many cases, will require proprietary software to validate the signature.

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) technology proven as the only technology available today that ensures non-forgeable signatures.

In a PKI system, each user has two keys: a public key and a private key. These keys can be used for encrypting and decrypting information, for digitally signing electronic information and for verifying the authenticity of their owner. While the public key is distributed widely, the corresponding private key is held by its owner in a secure place. While both keys are mathematically related, the public key cannot reveal the private key. This makes PKI a great technology for Digital Signatures.

The EU Directive 1999/93/EC for Digital Signatures recognised and defined a stronger type of electronic signature, the Advanced Electronic Signature. Only Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) digital signatures meet the requirements for such signatures. Advanced digital signatures provide not only stronger user authentication, but also protect the integrity of the data signed, thus ensuring non-repudiation of the transaction by the signer.

Secured Signing service is conducted completely through the web. All you need is internet access and a current web browser. You will also need a PDF reader to view your final signed documents. All of these applications are free.

No. Recipients do not need to have an account to receive a document from you. Invitee need to register in order to create PKI keys for signing.

While saving paper and storage, clients who use Secured Signing service are cutting back on power consumption and reducing dependence on carbon-producing services that would typically be required to move a document urgently cross-city just to get sign-off by an authorised representative.

Secured Signing service allows you to add documents and sign in the following formats: Docx, Doc, ODT, ODS, Xls, Xlsx, RTF, and PDF. After signing, the service will produce the signed document in a PDF format. In order to view it on your PC, you'll need to have the latest PDF reader installed on your desktop.

Secured Signing service utilises a trusted Digital Signature (PKI) technology, which allows you to verify signatures and validate the document's integrity on your desktop or by using Secured Signing Free Verification Service online. To verify via your desktop you need to configure Adobe reader to verify digital signatures and then install Secured Signing's Root Certificate. If you choose to use Secured Signing Free Verification service, upload the document to the service and we will check it for you. For more info please visit our Signatures Verification Service.

You have to configure Adobe reader to verify digital signatures and install the Secured Signing Root Certificate. For more information please visit our Signatures Verification Service.

As soon as the signing process on your document was completed, Secured Signing will save it for the following 7 days. All parties involves in signing process will get an e-mail with signed document in PDF format as attachment. the signed Document will remove from Secured Signing system after 7 days, the document owner will get the signed document in e-mail as attachment in PDF format for keeping in his own files.

Carefully check and type again your email address password to be sure you haven't mistyped it. If those don't work, you can reset your password by clicking "I have forgotten my password." If you follow the password reset process, and you are still unable to log in, please contact us for assistance.

No problem. A recipient who isn't comfortable signing online can easily print out the attached document, sign it by hand, and fax or post it to the sender.