These signatures involve signers applying their hand-signature mark on a document and this then being protected with a cryptographic digital signature. With a basic e-signature, the crypto digital signature is created using a server-held signing key, e.g. one belonging to the service provider; hence, we refer to this as a “witness” digital signature. In SigningHub, this witness digital signature is applied every time an e-signature mark is applied by the user and cryptographically binds this mark to the document and protects the document from any subsequent changes, thereby ensuring data integrity. This is a long-term signature that includes a trusted timestamp.

LAWtrust was the first accredited authentication service provider in South Africa, and remains the only private company accredited under the requirements of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act of 2002 to provide advanced electronic signature (AeSign) solutions. 

Because these digital signatures have the same authenticity as a handwritten signature, they can be relied on implicitly in nearly all transactions, such as approvals, contracts and certifying copies of original documents.