Index of contents
- 1. The Great Myth: Attaching your signature to a PDF is not a digital signature
- 2. What is a digital signature, exactly?
- 3. Digital Signature vs. Electronic Signature: Are they the same?
- 3.1. The Three Levels of Electronic Signature according to eIDAS
- 4. 4 Reasons Your Business Needs Digital Signatures Today
- 5. How to Implement Digital Signatures with Legallymail
- 5.1. Stop playing with informal agreements
If you continue to print contracts, sign them by hand, scan them, and send them back by email, you are wasting time and money. Even worse, if you are closing business agreements with a simple "Ok" on WhatsApp or attaching an image of your signature to a Word document, you are assuming an enormous legal risk.
In the era of Artificial Intelligence, where altering a document or falsifying digital identities takes only a few seconds, courts are becoming increasingly strict with electronic evidence.
The definitive solution to this problem is digital signatures. This guide explains what they are exactly, the legal differences, and how you can implement them in your business today to seal your contracts without any friction.
The Great Myth: Attaching your signature to a PDF is not a digital signature
Before we dive into the matter, we need to clarify the most common error in companies: scanning your handwritten signature and attaching it to a PDF document is not a digital signature. Legally, that image has no strong probative value. Anyone can copy and paste that scribble into another document without your consent. For a signature to have weight in court, it needs to be backed by cryptographic technology that guarantees who signed and when they did.
What is a digital signature, exactly?
A digital signature is a cryptographic mechanism that applies to an electronic document (such as a PDF) to guarantee three fundamental pillars:
Authenticity: Confirms the identity of the signer in an irrefutable manner.
Integrity: Guarantees that the document has not been modified or altered since it was signed. If someone changes a single comma after signing, the signature becomes invalid automatically.
Non-repudiation: The signer cannot deny having signed the document.
Digital Signature vs. Electronic Signature: Are they the same?
Although they are often used interchangeably, legally (under the European eIDAS regulation) there are nuances:
Electronic Signature: Is the legal concept. It refers to the electronic data appended to other electronic data that the signer uses to sign (e.g., clicking "I accept the terms and conditions").
Digital Signature: Is the technology underlying (cryptography) that gives security to that electronic signature.
The Three Levels of Electronic Signature according to eIDAS
To know which one you need in your company, you need to know the three levels of security:
Simple Signature: A PIN, a checkbox for "Accept" or a handprint signature on a basic tablet. It's fast, but has low probative value in court. Useful for accepting privacy policies or package deliveries.
Advanced Signature: Allows identifying the signer uniquely (through biometrics, two-factor authentication or IP tracking) and is linked to the signed documents in such a way that any subsequent modification is detectable. It is recommended for 90% of business contracts, non-disclosure agreements (NDA) and payrolls.
Qualified Signature: Created through a secure signature device and based on a qualified certificate (such as an electronic ID or the FNMT certificate). Has the same legal exact value as a handwritten signature. It is mandatory for public administration transactions and notarial documents.
4 Reasons Your Business Needs Digital Signatures Today
Implementing a digital signature system is no longer an option for modern businesses, it is a necessity for operational reasons:
Radical cost savings: Say goodbye to expenses on paper, ink, printers, postal mail, and Burofax. The entire process is 100% digital.
Closing deals in minutes, not days: Your customers can sign contracts and agreements from their mobile devices, anywhere and in seconds. The excuses of "I don't have a printer handy" are a thing of the past.
Security and Tracing (Time Stamp): You obtain an audit report that records the IP, device, browser, and exact time when the document was viewed and signed.
Professional image: You transmit confidence, seriousness, and modernity to your customers and employees.
How to Implement Digital Signatures with Legallymail
At Legallymail.com, we know that legal security doesn't have to be complicated or require advanced technical knowledge.
Our platform is designed for you to send certified emails and request digital signatures with full legal validity in less time than it takes to write a normal email.
How it works:
Upload your document (contract, budget, paycheck) to Legallymail.
Indicate the recipient's email address and the level of security required.
Your customer receives a secure link, reviews the document and signs it from their mobile device or computer.
You receive the signed document along with a evidence of evidence (Audit Trail) valid before any court.
Stop playing with informal agreements
A missed payment or labor conflict can shake the stability of your company. Protecting your documents is the most valuable investment you can make today.
Ready to digitalize and secure your contracts? Create a free account at Legallymail.com and discover the peace of mind that comes with having all your agreements backed by law.
