With digital transformation, especially due to the rapid rise of e-commerce, the use of electronic signatures, that is, e-signatures, instead of traditional paper signatures, is also increasing rapidly.
E-signature is known as a technological solution that enables secure signing of digital documents. In this article, we examine in detail what e-signature is and how it can be obtained.
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What is e-signature?
E-signature is a digital technology used to legally sign and certify electronic documents. According to the law, electronic signature is defined as electronic data that is added to other electronic data or has a logical connection with electronic data and is used for authentication purposes.
E-signature guarantees that the information sent in electronic transactions does not change during the sharing process, belongs to the sender and cannot be denied. It has the same legal status as a handwritten signature, as long as it complies with the requirements of the specific regulation of the region in which it was created.
For example; eIDAS certificates in the European Union, NIST-DSS in the USA or ZertES certificates in Switzerland are regulations that aim to manage electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions.
The use of e-signature in Turkey was regulated by the Electronic Signature Law No. 5070, which came into force in 2004, and took its final form with other subsequent legal regulations.
E-signature can be used to sign many documents. Tax declaration through e-government applications or employment contracts, patent applications, financial contracts that require wet signatures in a wide range of areas, especially banks and financial institutions, public institutions and organizations, large companies, universities, organizations with high communication and information security requirements, E-signature can be used in transactions such as voter registration.
How to get an e-signature?
To obtain an e-signature, you must first apply to Electronic Certificate Service Providers that provide e-signature services. It is important to choose a reliable e-signature provider. There are many companies that offer e-signature services in Turkey.
You can choose the one that suits your needs among the companies that you can access from the relevant Electronic Certificate Service Providers page of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority.
To obtain an e-signature, you first go through the identity verification process. This process is usually carried out with official identification documents such as identity card or passport.
You will need to enter into a contract with the e-signature provider of your choice. This agreement determines the terms of use of the e-signature service. Once the authentication process is complete, your electronic certificate is created. This is usually accomplished using a PIN or password. Once you create your e-signature, you can start using it to sign and approve digital documents.
What are the benefits of using e-signature?
Of course, there are many advantages of using e-signature in the digital age, where life and therefore all kinds of transactions are getting faster. E-signature contributes to the acceleration of business processes and increased efficiency, primarily because it enables documents to be signed quickly in a digital environment.
Use of e-signature; reduces traditional document processing costs such as paper, ink, postage, etc. It provides companies with significant savings by eliminating physical document management and storage costs. It also contributes to the protection of forests and reduction of environmental pollution by reducing paper consumption.
E-signatures are created using advanced encryption technologies and security protocols. Therefore, electronically signed documents are more secure and have higher integrity compared to traditional signature methods. Security is also increased through authentication processes. It saves any changes made to the documents.
In this way, details such as the date and time the document was signed and by whom it was signed can be verified. This feature can be an important evidence in legal processes and dispute situations.
With the trend of remote working, e-signature also facilitates collaborations in different geographical locations. Additionally, in many countries, e-signatures have the same legal validity as traditional handwritten signatures. E-signatures created in accordance with adequate security standards can be accepted as evidence in courts.
As a result, e-signature is almost a necessity, beyond being a convenience or a trend, for those who frequently have to sign contracts or official documents, especially for individuals and organizations who want to solve their business remotely.
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