Author: Kristen Harder

Cybersecurity has become increasingly important as the world becomes more interconnected and digitized. But the risks and costs of cybercrime continue to grow, as well, and the costs are staggering:

Against this threat, blockchain technology has been making waves in the world of cybersecurity for quite a few years now, and this innovative technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach online security—changing it for the better.

Here are some of the ways that we believe blockchain can be used to improve cybersecurity:

Immutable Records

To transact commerce (as an organization or individual) or operate government in a digital ecosystem requires legally enforceable digital signatures to prove agreement and intent.

Blockchain technology has an ability for the creation of immutable records, providing a secure, auditable trail of all transactions. All records and changes within a document are tracked and cannot be changed, providing important chain-of-custody audit capabilities for courts and ensuring peace of mind to its users. This also makes it ideal for use in financial transactions, real estate agreements and other high-value exchanges, where a record of every step is essential for ensuring the integrity of the process.

Secure Authentication

One of the main issues in cybersecurity is the vulnerability of traditional authentication methods such as passwords. Passwords can be easily hacked or stolen, leaving sensitive information vulnerable to attack. This can be a threat to businesses, especially those who store their users personal information. Blockchain technology can be used to provide secure authentication through the use of public-private key cryptography.

“The public key can help in encrypting a message before sending it to the concerned recipient,” explains 101 Blockchains. “When the recipient gets the message, they can use their private key for decrypting the message. It is essential to remember that only the recipient knows about the private key. Therefore, the applications of public key cryptography ensure that the valuable information of users is not tampered with in transit.”

Decentralization

Unliked centralized databases—which can be breached at unsecure endpoints (users and devices) or even at MSPs hosting them, giving attackers complete control once they gain central access—blockchain technology distributes data across geographically separate nodes. By decentralizing data storage, blockchain effectively prevents any one endpoint (even if compromised) from gaining control of the full data set.

This distributed nature so defeats any attack seeking to breach a system and holistically encrypt the data files stored therein: A single endpoint node might be breached and its files held for ransom, but the larger data set cannot be controlled by any one endpoint (or central authority) and so attackers cannot capture the full data set for encryption, ransom, and shutting down the network.

Further, with private, permissioned blockchains, each endpoint node (or user) has a unique encryption key to access and write to the distributed ledger. If any one of those endpoints is successfully attacked (presumedly compromising their access key), the private blockchain can simply remove distributed ledger access for that compromised key, issue the endpoint a new key, and allow that endpoint to quickly regain distributed ledger access (effectively as a new endpoint).

This unique recovery process effectively maroons any ransomware on the endpoint it attacked—ending its access and threat—while allowing the endpoint to re-engage the larger data set: With a new key and without needing to pay any ransom to the attackers for restored access.

Identity Verification

Identity verification is another area where blockchain can be used to enhance cybersecurity.  It ensures that the individual claiming a particular identity is actually who they say they are. It is a very important aspect of digital security, especially as identity theft “frequency has sky-rockets in the past few years,” according to the National Council on Identity Theft Protection. “Nearly half of all U.S. citizens became a victim of some form of identity theft in 2020.”

With blockchain, users can have greater control over their personal information, allowing them to manage their digital identities more securely. This makes it more difficult for hackers to steal personal information or create fake identities.

ZorroSign’s Data Security Platform Built on Blockchain

As the world becomes more digitized and interconnected, the importance of cybersecurity will only continue to grow, and blockchain is poised to play a crucial role in ensuring that our digital world remains safe and secure.

ZorroSign’s data security platform was built on blockchain, delivering digital signatures, identity-as-a-service (IDaaS), patented fraud detection, user authentication, document validation, and document management all based on blockchain technologies. 

ZorroSign is a strong addition to any organization’s security stack and brings the cybersecurity capabilities of blockchain to digital signatures and transactional documentation.

To learn more, visit our platform page or contact us to start a free 14 day trial. When the security of your digital data and documents is on the line, block it down!

What is IDaaS?

Identity-as-a-service (IDaaS) is any cloud-based identity management solution that enables organizations to securely authenticate and manage the identities of their users. IDaaS solutions can be used to manage a wide range of identities, including employees, customers, partners, and devices.

At a basic level, all IDaaS platforms are created to enhance online user experiences, secure access to critical enterprise applications, and reduce IT resource-related expenses with efficient identity and access management (IAM) and privileged access management (PAM).

“Sound identity management is essential,” writes Mark Diodati at Gartner. “Without good IAM, you are at real risk for data breaches and denial of service attacks. And IAM is hard to get right.”

The overarching goal of IDaaS solutions is to ensure users are who they claim to be—and to give users access to applications, data, systems, or other digital resources as authorized by their organizations.

“Some of the pros associated with IDaaS offerings include the ability to consume rather than host IAM and offloading some of the management overhead associated with IAM to an external provider,” writes Chris Hughes for CSO. “Other benefits include feature-rich offerings that make your IAM implementations more robust and secure in many cases. Most IDaaS providers offer native and integrated capabilities such as single sign-on (SSO) and multi-factor authentication (MFA).”

With this introduction, let’s look at how blockchain technology can help to improve and support IDaaS.

Blockchain and Decentralized Identifiers (DID)

One of the most well-known applications of blockchain technology in IDaaS is in the realm of decentralized identity (DID). A DID is a digital identity that is owned and controlled by the individual, rather than a central authority.

“Decentralized identifiers are stored on distributed ledgers (blockchains) or peer-to-peer networks,” explains Ethereum.org. ”This makes DIDs globally unique, resolvable with high availability, and cryptographically verifiable. A decentralized identifier can be associated with different entities, including people, organizations, or government institutions.”

Since DIDs are stored on the blockchain, they are more secure, transparent, and auditable. They also have the potential to enable individuals to have more control over their personal information and to reduce the risk of identity theft, ensuring peace of mind when it comes to the security of their personal data.

Blockchain and Identity Verification

Another area where blockchain technology supports IDaaS is in the realm of identity verification. Identity verification ensures that the individual claiming a particular identity is actually who they say they are. It is a very important, if not the most important, aspect of digital identities, especially as identity theft “frequency has sky-rockets in the past few years,” according to the National Council on Identity Theft Protection. “Nearly half of all U.S. citizens became a victim of some form of identity theft in 2020.”

Blockchain technology, however, can help to improve the accuracy and efficiency of identity verification by providing a tamper-proof record of activities and transactions. It can also help in developing new identity management systems with digital identity frameworks featuring decentralized identifiers.

Accenture, a global consultancy, has defined five immediate areas where blockchain-based digital identity management brings strong benefits:

• Secure and seamless travel, even across international borders
• Healthcare records that can be easily shared and managed by individual patients
• Background checks and training records for educational and professional credentials
• Streamline know-your-customer (KYC) processes across organizations
• Validate proof of ownership or insurance of physical or digital assets

Blockchain Security Elevates IDaaS Data Security

Blockchain has the power to improve IDaaS’s solution’s data security by bringing the decentralized, cryptographically secured blockchain data architecture to identity management. An estimated 81% of hacking-related breaches leveraging either stolen and/or weak passwords, putting even IDaaS solutions at risk—however, blockchain technologies can help IDaaS solutions to eliminate one of the most glaring gaps in cybersecurity, as distributed ledger technologies (DLTs such as blockchain) provide two means of preventing and/or ameliorating the threat of ransomware attacks: First, by decentralizing the data set itself; and second, by giving endpoints a quick path to recovery, even if they are themselves breached and access ransomed.

For example, unlike centralized databases—which can be breached at unsecure endpoints (users and devices) or even at MSPs hosting them, giving attackers complete control once they gain central access—blockchain technology distributes data across geographically separate nodes. By decentralizing data storage, blockchain effectively prevents any one endpoint (even if compromised) from gaining control of the full data set. This distributed nature so defeats any attack seeking to breach a system and holistically encrypt the data files stored therein: A single endpoint node might be breached and its files held for ransom, but the larger data set cannot be controlled by any one endpoint (or central authority) and so attackers cannot capture the full data set for encryption, ransom, and shutting down the network.

Further, each endpoint node (or user) has a unique encryption key to access and write to the distributed ledger. If any one of those endpoints is successfully attacked (presumedly compromising their access key), the blockchain can simply remove distributed ledger access for that compromised key, issue the endpoint a new key, and allow that endpoint to quickly regain distributed ledger access (effectively as a new endpoint).

This unique recovery process maroons any ransomware on the endpoint it attacked—ending its access and threat—while allowing the endpoint to re-engage the larger data set: With a new key and without needing to pay any ransom to the attackers for restored access.

The Perfect Pair United on ZorroSign’s Platform

Blockchain technology has the potential to support IDaaS in many ways: It can provide a secure, decentralized database, and enable faster, more efficient, and heightened secure identity management. It can also help to reduce the risk of fraud and errors and provide a more transparent and auditable record of all identity-related activities across IDaaS solutions.

ZorroSign unites both blockchain architecture with IDaaS capabilities to help your organization better manage identity access and elevate data security!

Contact us to learn more about our data security platform built on blockchain and put us to the test:  Start your free trial of ZorroSign’s data security platform today.

Digital signature technologies have become a reliable way of doing business in a primarily digitized world. These technologies are expected to grow in popularity in 2023 and here are several key trends to watch:

• Increased adoption: As more organizations and individuals become aware of the benefits of digital signature technologies, you can expect to see greater adoption of such solutions. This adoption includes a wide range of industries such as financial services, real estate, legal, IT and many more that serve as early-adopters of new technologies and which process a high volume of digital transactions requiring digital signatures.
• Improved security and compliance: One of the key advantages of digital signature technologies is the enhanced security and compliance they offer. These technologies use advanced encryption and authentication methods to ensure the integrity and authenticity of signed documents. In 2023, you can expect to see further developments in the security and compliance of digital signature technologies. ZorroSign’s data security platform provides users with the security and privacy afforded by blockchain technology, plus our patented fraud detection technology (the Z-Forensics token), and passwordless login options through biometrics security.

• Enhanced user experience: As digital signature technologies become more widespread, you can anticipate a greater focus on improving the user experience. This could include the development of more intuitive and user-friendly interfaces, as well as the integration of digital signature technologies with other tools and platforms. In this spirit, ZorroSign just recently launched our completely redesigned user experience! On the back-end, we’ve updated to a scalable microservices and containers architecture—allowing our platform to grow quickly while enhancing our development team’s productivity, autonomy, and efficiency. We’re also deploying on Provenance Blockchain for select organizations and continually enhancing our privacy, security, and compliance capabilities. On the front-end, you will quickly see the simplicity of our new user interface—delivering what we believe to be the best user experience for digital signatures!

• Increased use of biometric authentication: Biometric authentication methods, such as fingerprint scanning and facial recognition, offer an additional layer of security for digital signature technologies. In 2023, you can expect to see more organizations and individuals using biometric authentication methods to sign documents electronically. ZorroSign leverages the biometric security of Apple and Android mobile devices to login to individual devices (and so the ZorroSign app) with hardware biometric capture features such as face, fingerprint, and iris scans. Such biometric login facilitates passwordless user authentication at the device-level for subsequent ZorroSign digital signatures and document management.

• More advanced integration with other technologies: Digital signature technologies can be integrated with a wide range of other technologies, such as workflow management systems, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and document management systems. In 2023, you can anticipate more advanced integration of digital signature technologies with these and other tools, enabling organizations to streamline and automate their document signing processes.

Overall, 2023 is shaping up to be a promising year for the adoption of digital signature technologies! As more organizations and individuals embrace these solutions, ZorroSign is expecting to see a range of benefits, including improved security and compliance, enhanced user experience, and greater integration with other technologies.

Contact us to learn more about our data security platform built on blockchain and put us to the test:  Start your free trial of ZorroSign’s data security platform today!

While information and data have always been valuable commodities, they have never been as available and distributed as they are in our digital world today. With digital information being so readily generated and shared, data security rises in importance. Learning about data security and how it may impact your business, government, and personal life is a necessity. So let’s dive in to what data security means and its importance in today’s technologically driven world!

What is Data Security

“Data security is the process of safeguarding digital information throughout its entire life cycle to protect it from corruption, theft, or unauthorized access,” defines Fortinet, a computer, data, and network security company. “It covers everything—hardware, software, storage devices, and user devices; access and administrative controls; and organizations’ policies and procedures.”

“When properly implemented, robust data security strategies will protect an organization’s information assets against cybercriminal activities, but they also guard against insider threats and human error, which remains among the leading causes of data breaches today,” adds IBM. “Data security involves deploying tools and technologies that enhance the organization’s visibility into where its critical data resides and how it is used. Ideally, these tools should be able to apply protections like encryption, data masking, and redaction of sensitive files, and should automate reporting to streamline audits and adhering to regulatory requirements.”

The Importance of Data Security

In today’s digital world, protecting proprietary information—including client data, financial transactions, knowledge archives, infrastructure and databases—must be a top priority for companies and organizations. If they fail via data breaches, hacking, or theft, companies may lose customers and lose trust.

“All businesses have data that’s valuable and that has to be protected,” said Candy Alexander, international president at Information Systems Security Association, a nonprofit organization for information security professionals and practitioners.

Individuals and organizations rely on the companies they do business with to safeguard their data. If a trusted company fails at this task, the company will have more than just the legal fallout to contend with.

According to UpGuard, the combined cost of global data breaches in 2021—including customer repayments, auditing services, legal fees, and fines, among other costs—was approximately $6 trillion. But a failure to protect private information negatively impacts more than just a business’s bottom line, it endangers their reputation and future success. As such, companies employ skilled professionals to prevent or mitigate such risks.

“The cloud, mobility, and the powerful devices most of us have in our pockets enable a culture of convenience, and the ability to collaborate and be more productive. While this convenience arguably makes our lives easier, it also makes it easier for cybercriminals to gain access to our sensitive personal information wherever it lives or wherever it is traveling across the network,” explains SimpliLearn. “New security threats pop up all the time, and IT security professionals need to stay up to date with the latest tactics hackers are employing in the field.” Data security teams must include strategists, communicators, and lifelong learners to ensure IT security is consistently a top priority.

ZorroSign is a Data Security Platform Build on Blockchain

Advancing data security is critical for any technology managing data, and ZorroSign delivers data security in several ways.

The first way ZorroSign supports data security is by using distributed ledger technologies—originally built on Hyperledger Fabric, now expanded to include the Provenance Blockchain—ZorroSign provides superior privacy and security, while preventing fraud and ensuring regulatory compliance.

Blockchains provide structural layers of protection from cybercrime like ransomware, malware, or phishing attacks by decentralizing the data set itself (preventing any one breach to access the entire data set), and then by giving endpoints (or nodes) a quick path to recovery, even if they are themselves breached or their access ransomed. Unlike centralized databases—which can be breached at unsecure endpoints (users and devices) or even at managed service providers (MSPs) hosting them—giving attackers complete control once they gain central access, blockchain technology distributes data physically across separate nodes. By decentralizing data storage, blockchain effectively prevents any one endpoint (even if compromised) from gaining control of the full data set. This distributed nature defeats any attack seeking to breach a system and holistically encrypts the data files stored inside: A single endpoint node might be breached, and its files held for ransom, but the larger data set cannot be controlled by any one endpoint (or central authority) and so attackers cannot capture the full data set for encryption, ransom, and shutting down the network.

ZorroSign has further elevated our data security through our patented fraud detection technology we call the Z-Forensics token. This unique digital solution can:

• Prove that the individual who is performing the action to sign the document is who they claim to be (verification)
• Apply a digital equivalent of a wet-ink signature to the document (legal intent)
• Prove the authenticity of the printed or digital version of an electronically signed document, its content, attachments, and the signatures on it (authenticity)

Plus ZorroSign supports computer security with passwordless authentication capabilities, leveraging the biometric security of Apple and Android mobile devices to login to the device (and ZorroSign app) with hardware biometric capture features such as face, fingerprint, and iris scans.  Such biometric login facilitates user authentication at the device-level without passwords (which can be hacked or stolen) for elevated security of digital signatures and your digital documents.

Contact us to learn more about data security and put us to the test:  Start your free trial of ZorroSign’s data security platform built on blockchain today!

At ZorroSign, we are huge advocates of blockchain technology and its role in the metaverse and web3. We truly believe that the future for maintaining the highest level of security and privacy for businesses and online transactions is rooted in blockchain solutions.

Dubai is a city embracing the use of blockchain technology and wooing forward-thinking entrepreneurs. It has a history of visionary innovation, having already attracted 1,000 companies in the blockchain and metaverse space.

Recently, Dubai hosted the Future Blockchain Summit—the MENA region’s longest-running exhibition and conference connecting key stakeholders across Blockchain, crypto and Web3. “Dubai is seen as the main hub for blockchain and Metaverse,” said LandVault CEO, Sam Huber, in a recent article in the Khaleej Times. Let’s take a closer look at the blockchain initiative that is taking place in Dubai . . .

Dubai’s Blockchain Strategy 

Dubai has taken a global lead in the use of blockchain technology with the Dubai Blockchain Strategy launched in October 2016 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum— propelling Dubai to be the first city in the world to conduct applicable government transactions via blockchain by 2020.

From that bold initiative—focused on improving government efficiency, creating new industry, and leading the world with paperless operations—Dubai has continually explored and evaluated distributed ledger technology innovations that demonstrate an opportunity to deliver more seamless, safe, efficient, and impactful city experiences.

It was from that 2016 vision that ZorroSign’s co-founder and CEO, Shamsh Hadi, drew inspiration to map his company’s emerging eSignature solution to blockchain. In the years since, ZorroSign has built a multi-chain blockchain platform uniting digital signatures, identity-as-a-service, automated compliance, and many more web3 technologies to support not only Dubai’s paperless initiatives and the vision of Sheikh Mohammed, but paperless operations for businesses, governments, and individuals around the world. Dubai’s blockchain strategy was a key beginning!

Dubai’s Metaverse Strategy

In September 2022, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, launched the Dubai Metaverse Strategy—aiming to turn Dubai into one of the world’s top ten metaverse economies as well as a global hub for the metaverse community.

“The Dubai Metaverse Strategy seeks to: 

• “Foster innovation, enhance the metaverse’s economic contributions through research and development collaborations, and promote advanced ecosystems utilizing accelerators and incubators that attract companies and projects to Dubai;
• “Foster talent and invest in future capabilities by providing the necessary support in metaverse education aimed at developers, content creators and users of digital platforms in the metaverse community; and,
• “Develop web3 technology and its applications to create new governmental work models and development in vital sectors, including tourism, education, retail, remote work, healthcare and the legal sector.”

Smart Dubai

“After the successful implementation of the strategy to transform Dubai into a Smart City by 2017, Dubai Government launched the Smart Dubai 2021 Strategy.”

With goals of customer happiness, economic growth, and resource and infrastructure resilience, the Smart Dubai 2021 Strategy presents six strategic objectives to achieve:

• A “smart livable and resilient city” — achieving full information and communication technology (ICT) enablement of critical infrastructure, enhancing resilience and delivering an integrated, sustainable urban experience.

• A “globally competitive economy powered by disruptive technologies” — digitally transforming economic sectors, transitioning to sustainability while fostering vibrant entrepreneurship and innovative ecosystems.

• An “interconnected society with easily accessible social services” ­—digitizing and simplifying access to services for residents and visitors, improving the quality of life and streamlining social, cultural, education, and healthcare experiences in the emirate.

• “Smooth transport driven by autonomous and shared mobility solutions” — pioneering mobile solutions for a seamless and safe transportation experience, harnessing autonomous transportation technologies, and reducing time spent commuting.

• A “clean environment enabled by cutting-edge ICT innovations” — deploying technologies that ensure sustainability and quality of the emirate’s resources (water, air, energy, and land), improving resource efficiency and conserving consumption, and digitally transform utilities/manufacturing/transportation to reduce the emirate’s carbon footprint.

• A “digital, lean connected government” — i.e., “a government with zero visits” eliminating the need to commute to and physically interact with the government via paperless, cashless government operations delivering optimized experiences and powered by world-class city-wide shared services and infrastructure.

“The Digital Dubai initiative represents a vision to recreate the traditional top-bottom city management model into one that is representative and sustainable,” writes David Ndichu for Gulf Business. “Data is the foundation for the smart city Dubai aspires to be and the emergent digital economy the country is fostering.”

ZorroSign and Dubai

ZorroSign’s CEO and co-founder, Shamsh Hadi, is a third-generation member of the Hadi family who have called Dubai their home for the last 55 years. 

ZorroSign’s multi-chain blockchain technology supports Dubai’s blockchain strategy, metaverse strategy, Smart Dubai 2021 strategy, and paperless initiatives while helping organizations around the world move to private, secure paperless operations. Our technology was built from the ground up using private, permissioned Hyperledger Fabric blockchain—the blockchain architecture deployed by Amazon Web Services, IBM, Intel, Mastercard, Microsoft, PayPal, and more—and ZorroSign’s platform today also supports public, permissionless Provenance Blockchain.

When privacy and security is mission critical, organizations from Dubai to Dublin, Dallas to Dhaka need ZorroSign for digital signatures, transactions, and documentation. Put ZorroSign’s blockchain platform to the test by signing up for a free trial today at https://www.zorrosign.com/new/

Blockchain technology is an important part of how we do business here at ZorroSign, and we truly believe that the future for transacting business—and maintaining the highest level of privacy and security—is rooted in utilizing distributed ledgers. Thankfully, we are not alone!

Let’s take a look at some of the innovative ways that forward-thinking organizations are using blockchain technology in Phoenix, Arizona.

Dash

Dash is a Phoenix-based cryptocurrency that enables anyone, anywhere in the world to make quick, easy and cheap payments at any time without going through a central authority. Based on a decentralized peer-to-peer network, and secured by strong cryptography, Dash offers a safe and user-friendly payment method without barriers. Dash is portable, inexpensive, divisible and fast digital cash for both the internet and everyday life.

Dash is used around the world as a practical alternative to cash and credit cards. It is also a useful solution in the international remittances market. It is particularly popular in regions where technical access barriers exist to traditional payment systems, or where hyperinflation has made existing currency impractical to use.

The Dash Platform is a technology stack for building decentralized applications on the Dash network. The two main architectural components, Drive and DAPI, turn the Dash P2P network into a cloud that developers can integrate with their applications.

Propy

Propy is a residential real estate platform built upon the Ethereum blockchain that accelerates transaction time for home buying. Their products help brokers, agents and title companies migrate to closing on blockchain.

They built a blockchain-powered title and escrow company that supports traditional, crypto, and NFT closing. In addition, Propy records the title on both the blockchain and with the county registrar. The company’s new service has been launched for residential real estate transactions in Arizona, Colorado and Florida.

Real estate agents use Propy to invite buyers and sellers to the Propy platform where they can all use it from offer to close, removing legacy processes and systems that slow down the whole process. All parties involved in the process of home purchase and sale are able to view and follow in real time every step in their transaction and close in a secure blockchain environment. The blockchain closing environment minimizes the risks associated with wire and title fraud or loss of information.

Sky Republic

Founded in 2016, Sky Republic is a pioneer in enterprise blockchain and supply chain integration, recognized in six Gartner Hype Cycles. They provide blockchain automation for digital supply chains.

Sky Republic’s Atlas Sky Contract Platform (SCP) delivers real-time reconciliation, asset tracking, provenance tracing, process optimization, and more. To synchronize business with their partners and decentralize benefits, Sky Republic creates a trusted and distributed digital twin of a supply chain. Designed to get multi-enterprise applications up and running quickly, Sky Republic’s platform makes supply chain more productive, resilient, and nimble.

SPARK+

SPARK+ is an innovation company specialized in blockchain development with a wide range of expertise and clients across the globe. They believe futuristic platforms need futuristic technologies such as blockchain, AI and ML. SPARK+ helps their clients to leverage these modern technologies for your existing business or new idea.

Those who work for SPARK+ believe that blockchain suits well where it fits well. From Use case analysis to quality delivery SPARK+ makes sure your product enhances its value with the power of blockchain technology. SPARK+ offers several different blockchain services such as; Tokenization, decentralized finance, blockchain network development, app development and integrations, enterprise blockchain solution, and auditing, training and consultation.

And ZorroSign

ZorroSign, of course, is a multi-chain blockchain platform uniting digital signatures with workflow controls and automation, AI/ML form fill, identity-as-a-service (IDaaS), patented fraud prevention, and much more—all written to either the private, permissioned Hyperledger Fabric blockchain or public, permissionless Provenance Blockchain.

ZorroSign opened our global operations hub in Phoenix to be among forward-thinking individuals and organizations that believe in harnessing the power of blockchain for the future. These companies, and many emerging organizations in Arizona, are making the leap to web3 and bringing blockchain technologies to life for businesses, governments and individuals.

Put ZorroSign’s blockchain platform to the test by signing up for a free trial today at https://www.zorrosign.com/new/

We at ZorroSign recognize that the technology industry is constantly evolving and changing. As new innovations are created and others evolve, we find it important to stay on top of these trends so that we can provide our customers with the most current, useful and secure technology possible.

A report by Fortune Business Insights predicts that the global blockchain market will grow from $7.18 billion in 2022 to $163.83 billion by 2029. With that explosion in growth, here are some recent trends to keep your eye on as more and more blockchain solutions come to market . . .

Environmentally-Friendly Blockchains

While blockchain has brought about amazing transformation in businesses and the tech space, one of the largest obstacles for a future of blockchain is the excessive use of energy needed to run proof-of-work blockchains.

“Bitcoin uses more electricity per transaction than any other method known to mankind,” said Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, in a live-streamed Clubhouse session with CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin in 2021. “And so it’s not a great climate thing.”

However, evolving trends in blockchain technology increasingly focus on developing “greener” blockchain systems. Solutions like carbon offsetting and focusing on bringing less energy-intensive proof-of-stake blockchain architectures are introducing more environmentally-friendly blockchains.

“With the rise of blockchain technology, a number of platforms have emerged that are allowing users to reduce their overall energy consumption by a huge margin,” notes a recent article in Finance Magnates. “For example, Cardano reportedly consumes only 6 GWh of power per annum, while Stellar (XLM), Iota (MIOTA), and Tron, also have extremely low power needs.”

Furthermore, one of the most popular blockchain networks, Ethereum, is moving to a proof-of-stake algorithm this month with “The Merge.” This proof-of-stake validation offers a more sustainable solution for enterprises attempting to make the jump towards greener blockchains.

Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS)

At the intersection of blockchain and cloud computing can now be found Blockchain as a Service (BaaS)—a service offering that allows businesses to use cloud-based solutions to develop, host and adopt their own blockchain applications, smart contracts and other relevant functions on the blockchain. Here, the cloud-based IT partner or service provider manages all the required tasks and activities to keep the distributed ledger infrastructure up and running.

BaaS allows organizations to focus on operations and key tasks, and it reduces the technical difficulties and the need to purchase expensive technology solutions. Based on the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, this third-party service delivers the installation, configuration, monitoring, and maintenance of the infrastructure. Moreover, this blockchain technology trend offers the ability to take benefit of blockchain features without the need to learn difficult coding.

Companies like Amazon, IBM, Microsoft, SAP, and others have already implemented it BaaS and we will continue to see other businesses make the leap.

Metaverse and Web3

Web3 refers to the next generation of the internet that will be decentralized, open, and run on blockchain. In its current form, web2 is overwhelmingly dominated by Big Tech corporations that use, control, and monetize the personal data of its users.

The dream of web3 is to break the centralization of information and democratize the Internet more to the vision of its earliest founders. “Web3,” claims Chris Dixon from Andreesen Horowitz in an article in The Economist, “combines the decentralized, community-governed ethos of web1 with the advanced, modern functionality of web2.”

Web3 “will be based on the convergence of emerging technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and augmented reality,” notes Neeti Aggarwal and Dandreb Salangsang in The Asian Banker. “It will be characterized by decentralized data, a more transparent and secure environment, machine cognitive intelligence and  three-dimensional design.”

Web3 advocates claim that the technology will give users back control over their data through decentralized applications.

The metaverse is essentially described as an immersive 3D world that users can transport themselves into for work, play, and communication by using a combination of VR, AR, and other advanced technologies. Blockchain is a driving force behind many aspects of the Metaverse, including NFTs, gaming, payment methods, virtual real estate, and even identity authentication.

The idea of the metaverse is sometimes inaccurately conflated with Web3. But while it’s built on Web3, the metaverse—or metaverses, given that there are many—is about user experience and arguably about web culture as much as the tech on which it relies.

The metaverse will become a virtual world that will provide its users with unforgettable digital experiences. And built on blockchain technologies, the more popular the metaverse becomes, then the more blockchains are deployed and engaged.

At ZorroSign, we love learning the latest trends in blockchain technology so that we can continue to provide the most secure and user-friendly digital signatures platform available. Put our blockchain to the test by signing up for a free trial at https://www.zorrosign.com/new/.

With new technologies constantly coming to market, companies must make an effort to be innovate in order to stay relevant and not get left behind. 

ZorroSign is committed to continuous technology innovation and our achievements have been recognized with the following awards over the past year:

Then, in June 2022, ZorroSign was recognized as the “Most Innovative Blockchain Company from Sri Lanka” by APAC Business Headlines. The award celebrates ZorroSign’s software development team in Sri Lanka as they lead innovation in blockchain technologies for the company’s global customers.

ZorroSign was awarded a gold Stevie in the Blockchain Solution category at the 18th Annual International Business Awards at the end of 2021. We were also recognized with two bronze Stevie® Awards for Company of The Year – Computer Software and Most Innovative Tech Company of The Year.

According to the judges, ZorroSign “pushes the needle on innovation,” demonstrates “great use of blockchain and Hyperledger to solve signature issues,” is “one of the few companies that are able to use blockchain technology to solve a real business problem,” and declares, “blockchain is the future of digital signature.”

We could not be more proud of this recognition and the Stevie judges’ comments!

APAC Business Headlines praised ZorroSign’s commitment to delivering superior privacy and security, as well as the company’s ability to make a difference through sustainable practices.  You can read the magazine article at https://www.apacbusinessheadlines.com/Blockchain-2-web-version/ZorroSign/

And in July 2022, ZorroSign announced our appearance on Insights Success cover as one of the “Ten Most Innovative FinTech Solution Providers in 2022.”

Insights Success celebrated ZorroSign’s multi-chain blockchain platform as a groundbreaking solution in financial technologies and driving force for blockchain and web3.

“We are thrilled to be recognized by Insights Success and counted amongst the most innovative fintech solutions providers today,” said Shamsh Hadi, co-founder and CEO of ZorroSign, Inc. “As most financial service providers currently deploy legacy technologies, the opportunity for early adopters to leap ahead with blockchain solutions—such as ZorroSign—becomes an asset and key competitive advantage.”

ZorroSign continues to create and use new technologies, driving both industry innovation and greater sustainability. On August 15^th we will be launching our completely redesigned next generation platform—including upgrades to our user experience, user interface, new features, security, compliance and system updates.

Contact us to learn more . . . or start your free trial to put our innovative digital signature software to the test!

Many in the real estate industry have made the jump into digital operations and this has allowed them to conduct business on the go while elevating their client’s security and compliance needs.

Only ZorroSign pairs a web3 transaction platform with mobile technology—delivering 21st century security to the age-old ceremony of signing and storing purchase agreements, and giving your customers peace of mind needed when conducting real estate transactions digitally and remotely.

Here are three reasons that you need to make the switch to digital operations with ZorroSign . . .  

Give Your Client Peace of Mind

By using ZorroSign, all the parties involved in a real estate transaction can Z-Sign documents anywhere, anytime and from their preferred device. That’s a win for everyone—especially the client! You no longer have to patiently wait through the frustratingly slow process that is paper operations. And they can keep up with their busy schedule and buy that house all while saving time and money. ZorroSign relieves you from being tied to the office or one particular place and lets you and your clients sign, send, and track documents while on-the-go.

Ensure Elevated Security

ZorroSign is the only company that offers a multi-blockchain platform to secure, track, and manage your digital signatures, transactions, and documentation.

By using distributed ledger technologies—originally built on Hyperledger Fabric and recently expanded to include the Provenance Blockchain—ZorroSign provides superior privacy and security, offering peace of mind for your real estate digital transactions, while preventing fraud and ensuring regulatory compliance.

How does this blockchain architecture contribute to ZorroSign being the best platform for your real estate needs?

Blockchain provides structural layers of protection from cybercrime, like ransomware, malware, or phishing attacks: First, by decentralizing the data set itself (preventing any one breach to access the entire data set); and second, by giving endpoints (or nodes) a quick path to recovery, even if they are themselves breached or their access ransomed.

Unlike centralized databases which can be breached at unsecure endpoints (users and devices)—or even at managed service providers (MSPs) hosting them—giving attackers complete control once they gain central access, blockchain technology distributes data physically across separate nodes. By decentralizing data storage, blockchain effectively prevents any one endpoint (even if compromised) from gaining control of the full data set.

This distributed nature so defeats any attack seeking to breach a system and holistically encrypts the data files stored inside: A single endpoint node might be breached, and its files held for ransom, but the larger data set cannot be controlled by any one endpoint (or central authority) and so attackers cannot capture the full data set for encryption, ransom, and shutting down the network.

ZorroSign intentionally used blockchain as the framework of our business to ensure that our customers were able to experience elevated security and peace of mind.

Stay Compliant

With ZorroSign, you can easily complete and sign multiple mandatory documents and ensure compliance at every stage—we are proud to make the security and privacy of our customers’ data our top focus!

Our unique combination of security architecture and data privacy functionality grants ZorroSign compliance across international standards for privacy and security, including but not limited to:

• Canada:  The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
• Canada:  The Uniform Electronic Commerce Act (UECA)
• EU:  Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for data privacy and security
• EU:  The electronic IDentification, Authentication and trust Services (eIDAS) regulation
• India:  The Information Technology Act 2000 (IT Act of India)
• International Standard on Assurance Engagements (ISAE) No. 3402, Type II audited
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27001 certified
• PDF Advanced Electronic Signatures (PAdES) is a set of restrictions and extensions to PDF and ISO 32000-1
• UAE:  Federal Law No. 1 of 2006 regarding Electronic Transactions and E-Commerce granting electronic signatures legal force and effect
• USA:  American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) SOC 2 Type I audit
• USA:  California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
• USA:  Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) encryption standards
• USA:  The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
• USA:  The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-Sign Act)
• USA:  FDA Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations; Electronic Records; Electronic Signatures
• USA:  The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
• USA:  The Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA)

To learn more about how ZorroSign serves the Real Estate industry, please contact us or start your 14-day free trial subscription today!

June 30^th, 2022 marks the 22^nd anniversary of the U.S. Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN Act)—a critical piece of legislation that ensures “a signature, contract, or other record relating to such [commercial] transaction may not be denied legal effect, validity, or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form.”

In 2010, both Houses of Congress passed a resolution recognizing June 30^th thereafter as National ESIGN Day!

If you’re a fast-growing business or organization that still uses pen and paper to sign your mission-critical documents or uses a different digital signature solution, here are three reasons why you should start using ZorroSign on this day we commemorate the global adoption of digital signatures . . .

Elevated Privacy and Security

ZorroSign was built from the ground up on Hyperledger Fabric—one of the most trusted private blockchains—to deliver digital signatures with the superior privacy and security of blockchain. “Hyperledger Fabric is a permissioned blockchain where each component and actor has an identity, and policies define access control and governance,” explains Hyperledger’s Security Model. “Each of these actors has a digital identity encapsulated in an X.509 digital certificate issued by a Certificate Authority (CA). These identities matter because they determine the exact permissions over resources and access to information that actors have in a blockchain network.”

As a distributed ledger technology, ZorroSign stores information in a secure and accurate manner using cryptography, where “once the information is stored, it becomes an immutable database and is governed by the rules of the network.”

Further, ZorroSign incorporates Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) to authenticate users across multiple dimensions, such as what you know (your login password), what you have (your laptop or mobile device), and who you are (biometrics such as fingerprints or eye iris on the device securing who can access it), etc.

All that being said, with the amount of cybercrime that is present today, it is vital that you have peace of mind that your information and critical documents are private and secure, and ZorroSign provides that solution for you and your business.

Helps Reduce Errors and Omissions (E&O)

Make your critical document form-fill completion process smarter, faster and more accurate using ZorroSign’s automated engine, Z-Fill.

Built with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to speed form completion and increase accuracy, ZorroSign’s Z-Fill feature helps your customers fill forms with ease by anticipating entries, reducing errors by matching profile information to form-fill options, and learning from historical form-fills to anticipate more and more entries over time.

Plus all of your documents can be stored on ZorroSign’s Z-Vault for regulatory compliance and the immutability of signed documents, metadata, and workflow records. Z-Vault enables you to store, structure, organize and search documents in folders and subfolders natively, with the peace of mind that comes from superior blockchain privacy and security.

Available in Multiple Cloud Configurations

On top of providing the security and compliance features that your company and customers need, ZorroSign’s software-as-a-service (SaaS) model can be deployed in various cloud configurations, making it seamless to integrate into your existing platform.

Our multi-chain blockchain platform can be deployed in a public, private, hybrid, or on-premise cloud:

• Our standard deployment is on Amazon Web Services (AWS) public cloud computing network
• In our private cloud configuration, all your data and the ZorroSign application run in a private and secure cloud network dedicated to your organization
• In a hybrid cloud configuration, your data can be stored on either ZorroSign data centers or in the private cloud, while the ZorroSign platform and applications run on their standard public cloud configurations
• On-premise deployments require your department to manage and maintain your own data centers, but gain the benefits of unlimited API calls and total control over identity access management (IAM), data privacy and security, and data integrity processes

If you’re ready to try ZorroSign’s multi-chain blockchain platform for yourself on National ESIGN Day, start your Free Trial today!

This upcoming Sunday, June 5th, is World Environment Day and the theme for this year is “Only One Earth” with a focus on “living sustainably in harmony with nature.”

Prioritizing sustainability is a key value at ZorroSign, and today we are going to give you some tips and tricks on how to incorporate sustainable practices in advance of World Environment Day!

Conserve Water

Here are a few important facts about the water on our planet from the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation:

• 97% of all water on the earth is salt water, which is not suitable for drinking.
• Only 3% of water on Earth is fresh water, and only 0.5% is available for drinking.
• The other 2.5% of fresh water is locked in ice caps, glaciers, the atmosphere, soil, or under the earth’s surface, or is too polluted for consumption.

So how does conserving water help with sustainability?

Reducing our water use/consumption reduces the energy required to process and deliver it to homes, businesses, and communities, which then helps to reduce your carbon footprint.

Grow Your Own Food

Consumers throw away $1600 of produce per year, and according to a study from the Council of Environmental Health about food additives and children’s health.

Growing your own food allows for alternative options for purchasing your food from a grocery store. Why is this significant? When you buy your food solely from grocery stores, you have to take into account that these foods sometimes travel thousands of miles before ever being consumed. This impacts not only the freshness and flavor of the food, but also adds carbon emissions and waste associated with air freight and other transportation methods into our atmosphere.

By growing your own food, you are taking a small step in helping reduce the high amounts of burning fossil fuels that are expelled into our environment as a result from importing foods from commercial farmers. You also are reducing waste from the food packaging materials such as man-made plastics and cardboard, that make the long supply-chain trip. And as an extra bonus, the food you grow will be fresher!

Growing food from your home is easier thank you think! Here are some great options for growing food from your kitchen or backyard:

• Onions
• Garlic
• Celery
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Herbs (such as cilantro, basil, rosemary, oregano)

Go Paperless with ZorroSign

ZorroSign is committed to having a positive impact on the environment through sustainable practices. Switching from doing business using paper to digital is not only a smart business decision but it is also good for the environment.

Office paper waste is estimated to be around 12.1 trillion sheets of paper a year, with paper accounting for 50% of waste from businesses.

However, each time you use ZorroSign to digitally transact instead of printing, faxing, scanning, and shipping documents to collect signatures, you save trees and water . . . plus reduce carbon emissions while your business saves time and money!

To further live a paperless life, ZorroSign encourages all businesses to go digital and save trees. Our Save a Tree – Plant a Tree program is ZorroSign’s effort to do our part to help the environment: For every 8,000 pages of paper you save by using ZorroSign, we plant a tree on your behalf—that’s saving an existing tree and planting a new tree by going paperless with ZorroSign’s multi-chain blockchain platform.

To learn more about ZorroSign’s commitment to sustainability and environment conservation, and how we deliver greater privacy and security for digital signatures and documents, contact us today or sign up for our free trial!

Validated Claim Support, LLC is an emerging leader in cosmetic and skin care clinical research. They came to ZorroSign needing a workflow management, digital signature, and document management solution for three business drivers:

• To collect clinical study informed consent documentation and study protocol information
• To collect secure, legally binding and authenticated signatures from inter party legal agreements between Validated Claim Support, sponsor clients and vendors
• To complete general office documentation like employment agreements and organization policy acknowledgment

Another concern for Validated Claim Support was ensuring security and privacy when managing clinical study information. The organization must make certain that its processes are efficient without compromising data or privacy, are always compliant with FDA guidelines, and minimizing (or eliminating) potential errors.

Validated Claim Support chose ZorroSign as its digital signature vendor because ZorroSign exceeded their privacy and security requirements, and because ZorroSign’s comprehensive workflow automation was the perfect complement to the clinical researchers’ technology initiatives.

ZorroSign’s solution further provides VCS with a systematic archiving of documents with the platform’s built-in document management system. As an FDA registered and inspected laboratory, Validated Claim Support needs efficiency, security and accuracy when adopting any new technology, and ZorroSign’s digital signature solution uniquely fulfilled those requirements.

Validated Claim Support experienced a cost savings of roughly $10,000 per year from reduced personnel expenses by increasing productivity. The company also saved money by not needing test subjects to revisit their lab for signatures on documentation, changes and corrections.

Learn more about how Validated Claim Support uses ZorroSign, read their case study or sign up for your own 14-day free trial subscription today!

If you work in real estate, you understand the need to provide superior customer service to close deals. Only ZorroSign pairs a web3 transaction platform with mobile technology—delivering 21st century security to the age-old ceremony of signing and storing agreements, and giving your customers peace of mind needed when conducting real estate transactions digitally and remotely.

ZorroSign not only delivers superior privacy and security through our multi-chain blockchain transaction platform, but also ensures that your real estate deals are closed with ease, elevating the customer experience and saving time and money.

Improve Your Customer Service

U.S. real estate deals have already moved from paper-based to digital experiences and processes. Evolving towards newer technology has allowed for real estate agents to close deals faster and from anywhere in the world—you no longer have to meet in person to deliver physical papers in order for your clients to sign.

While there are many technology platforms that provide the option to sign and store documents, real estate firms and agents not only need a digital experience that is fast and efficient, but they need one that they can trust with their information and their customers’ information.

This is where ZorroSign comes in!

Built on blockchain, ZorroSign’s unique digital signature solution makes contracts, counter-offers, purchases, and amendments accurate, faster, easier, and more secure than ever.

Here is what Mr. Richard Green from enTrust Escrow and Title says after using ZorroSign as his transaction platform:

ZorroSign helps bring your real estate business into the digital age:  Speeding customer processes and service, helping your organization “go green” with paperless operations, and allowing you to serve customers from anywhere, anytime! 

Close deals faster

It is no secret that there are a lot of moving parts when it comes to real estate. This often makes it difficult to nail down a time and place to meet with customers for signatures. With ZorroSign’s transaction platform, everyone can sign and send documents when they are prepared, allowing the platform to transmit documents to the other agents, saving time for everyone with an efficient digital workflow.

This is especially helpful for you as an agent or broker, since it frees you up to keep the transaction moving while you are on-the-go. When you are dealing with a quick turnaround in a multiple-offer situation, signing and sending documents online can be the difference in closing the deal!

With our patented, legally binding, fully automated digital signature technology, ZorroSign’s platform enables you to skip the print/sign/scan process, stop chasing paper signatures, and instead sign and send digital documents from anywhere—all the while monitoring a policy document’s current status from the ZorroSign dashboard.

Automate With Z-Fill

Finally, with our intelligent form-fill process, Z-Fill, ZorroSign’s platform allows you to digitize documents, eliminate the paperchase and improve efficiency, while speeding up the process of filling out forms.

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, members rely on repeat clients and referrals from past clients for 30% of their business. With ZorroSign’s Z-Fill technology, you can save time and ensure that clients sign and fill out forms correctly—every time. Z-Fill can help you complete real estate agreements faster and with ease, improving your customer experience and winning repeat and referral business.

To learn more about how ZorroSign serves the Real Estate industry, please contact us or start your 14-day free trial subscription today!

The way that the legal industry conducts business has changed drastically over the last few years, foremost due to the shift during the COVID-19 pandemic to a remote lifestyle. A recent survey by the American Bar Association shows that more than half of all attorneys are now working from home almost exclusively. This switch to remote work has caused the legal industry to look towards technology to move the bulk of their processes and workflows online.

With that industry shift in mind, here are three ways that ZorroSign helps to law firms, legal departments, and attorneys worldwide to thrive in an online environment!

Automation

Lawyers are often swamped with paperwork and the hassle of printing, signing, and scanning documents. While much of this work is important to the successful operation of legal services, future-thinking law firms and legal departments are identifying repetitive, manual processes and incorporating automation to drastically improve their workflows. This allows attorneys to spend more time on client development and for staff to become more productive.

Incorporating technology into your legal service workflows can expedite operations, accelerate growth, and increase the value of the services delivered to clients. When used strategically, technology can also free up your teams from mundane tasks and enable them to apply their expertise to higher-value work. As a result, law firms and legal departments become more efficient, innovative, competitive, and profitable.

ZorroSign’s blockchain platform allows firms to build and automate templates and approval workflows, ensuring compliance with business regulations while streamlining processes from a single dashboard. Our contract lifecycle management (CLM) capabilities support automation and help move attorneys to digital record-keeping, digital communications, and digital chains-of-custody.

Expanding Privacy Regulations

Gartner predicts that by the end of 2023, modern privacy laws will cover the personal information of 75% of the world’s population. It is also expected that more state legislatures will enact privacy laws similar to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) which gives consumers more control over the personal information that businesses collect about them. Eventually the United States can expect a law that mirrors the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)—one of the toughest privacy and security laws in the world.

The increased demand for privacy has been driven by individuals’ demands for improved protection of their personally identifying information (PII), healthcare records, autonomy, and digital data privacy. Expanding regulations have pushed organizations to take the necessary steps to support data sharing, while preserving the privacy of those that they are working with and who are within their organization. All in all, organizations that choose to prioritize privacy have an opportunity to win greater loyalty and more business from their customers.

So how can ZorroSign help?

ZorroSign was created with the privacy of users in mind. Built from the ground up on blockchain technology for a zero-trust digital ecosystem, we deliver top notch security that has evolved to meet the legal enforceability needed in a court of law. ZorroSign is already compliant with CCPA and the EU’s GDPR policy—plus many Canadian, Indian, UAE, and United States data protection and privacy standards, ISO 27001 certification, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) SOC 2 Type I audit, and International Standard on Assurance Engagements (ISAE) No. 3402 Type II audited.

For the growing list of ZorroSign privacy and security standards, visit our recent blog on global compliance.

Transfer to the Cloud

While storing information on a hosted cloud server is not a new concept, the legal industry has been slow to migrate its data because of the security concerns that this presented. Telecommute work, however, has pushed legal organizations towards cloud solutions to better connect remote workers. The cloud’s cost-effective delivery of near-unlimited storage, paired with technology like blockchains, bridges the gap between the risk of remote connections and the need for elevated data security.

ZorroSign’s multi-chain blockchain platform can be deployed in a public, private, hybrid, or on-premise cloud, while ensuring your data and privacy and security needs are met:

• Our standard deployment is on Amazon Web Services (AWS) public cloud computing network
• In our private cloud configuration, all your data and the ZorroSign application run in a private and secure cloud network dedicated to your organization
• In a hybrid cloud configuration, your data can be stored on either ZorroSign data centers or in the private cloud, while the ZorroSign platform and applications run on their standard public cloud configurations
• On-premise deployments require your law firm or department to manage and maintain your own data centers, but gain the benefits of unlimited API calls and total control over identity access management (IAM), data privacy and security, and data integrity processes

To learn more about how ZorroSign serves the Legal Industry, please contact us or start your 14-day free trial subscription today!

March 21, 2022, marked the 10th anniversary of International Day of Forests. This day calls attention to the importance of practicing sustainability in both your business and your personal life. Often people have a desire to live a more sustainable life, but do not know where to start . . .  

Here are four ways you can practice sustainability in your day-to-day life!

Recycle & Reuse

One ready way to practice sustainability is to make a real effort to recycle and reuse. Did you know each ton of recycled paper saves an estimated 17 trees and 3.3 cubic yards of land space? Every small and large contribution that you make counts!

You’ve most likely heard the phrase “Reduce, reuse, recycle” your whole life, but how do you actively turn a nice-sounding phrase into a habit?

• Try to reuse products and items as many times as possible before binning them to reduce waste. Check out this list of household items that you would normally throw away, but you can reuse!
• Avoid thin plastic packaging, as it’s usually non-recyclable. Instead go for reusable glass or thick plastic.
• Instead of using plastic bags, bring reusable bags and Tupperware when going shopping or packing food or leftovers.
• Buy products in bulk. Purchasing goods in large amounts means less packaging and even less cost per amount.
• Utilizing trash removal and recycling services can also help you to manage waste effectively

Monitor Energy Use

Another great way to be sustainable is monitoring your energy use. By using less energy, you can help to reduce carbon emissions. There are a number of ways you can save energy at home, and most of them are practices that take no extra effort on your part.

Here are a few ways to do it:

• Turn off the lights when you’re not in the room; use natural light instead of turning the lights on as much as you can.
• Turn off appliances that you’re not currently using.
• Dry your clothes outside instead of using the drying machine.
• Save money with solar energy

Save Water

It is a fact that 70% of the Earth is covered with water, only one percent of it is available for human consumption. Conserving water is important because it keeps our water clean while protecting the environment.

Here are some effective and easy ways to cut back on your water footprint and save some money in the process:

• Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth
• Wash dishes in the sink instead of under running water
• Only run the washing machine and dishwasher when you have a full load
• Check your kitchen pipes and dishwater hose for slow leaks

Go Paperless with ZorroSign

ZorroSign is committed to having a positive impact on the environment through sustainable practices. Switching from doing business using paper to digital is not only a smart business decision but it is also good for the environment.

Office paper waste is estimated to be around 12.1 trillion sheets of paper a year, with paper accounting for 50% of waste from businesses.

However, each time you use ZorroSign to digitally transact instead of printing, faxing, scanning, and shipping documents to collect signatures, you save trees and water . . . plus reduce carbon emissions while your business saves time and money!

To further the cause of Paperless Life, ZorroSign encourages all businesses to go digital and save trees. Our Save a Tree – Plant a Tree program is ZorroSign’s effort to do our part to help the environment. For every 8,000 pages of paper you save by using ZorroSign, we plant a tree on your behalf—that’s saving an existing tree and planting a new tree by going paperless with ZorroSign.

To learn more about ZorroSign’s commitment to sustainability and environment conservation, and how we deliver greater privacy and security for digital signatures and documents, contact us today!

What is an Application Programming Interface?

An application programming interface, or API, is software that opens up an application’s data and functionally to external third-party developers, business partners, or internal departments within an organization.

APIs allow different applications to communicate with each other and leverage each other’s data and functionality through a documented interface. In other words, an API allows two different applications to talk to each other,  access data, and acts as a go between that takes requests, translates, and returns responses.

There are four different types of APIs:

• The first are Open APIs, also known as public or external APIs, and they are available to use by any developer. This leads to open APIs having relatively low authentication and authorization measures but the assets they share are often restricted.
• Partner APIs are shared externally, but only with those who have a business relation with the company that is providing the API. Access is limited to only those that have been authorized or have official licenses. These limitations make partner APIs more secure than public APIs.
• Internal APIs, also called private APIs, are not intended to be used by third parties. They are used internally within companies for the transfer of data between teams and systems.
• Composite APIs are a combination of multiple APIs, this allows developers to group different elements of the APIs for a unified response from different servers. These APIs work as an automatic chain of calls and responses that do not require intervention.

Without knowing it, you are likely using API’s every single day! One prime example is Google maps, which is used virtually by any website that wants to provide convenient directions to their location.

So how exactly do API’s work?

1. 1. Client application initiates an API call to retrieve information—also known as a request. This request is processed from an application to the web server via the API’s Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) and includes a request verb, headers, and sometimes, a request body.
2. 2. After receiving a valid request, the API makes a call to the external program or web server.
3. 3. The server sends a response to the API with the requested information.
4. 4. The API transfers the data to the initial requesting application.

Benefits of APIs

In today’s workplace, workflows, processes, and transaction management are constantly changing. APIs help to ensure that the connectivity and collaboration continue to remain strong even as workflows and processes change.

Some other benefits of APIs include:

• Improves connectivity and collaboration:  In 1990, the average enterprise used a mere 5 to 10 different enterprise apps. Today, the average enterprise uses nearly 1,200 different cloud apps, many of which are disconnected. APIs allow these different apps to be strategically wired together to seamlessly communicate with one another. Through these integrations, companies are able to improve workplace collaboration and user experience as a whole.
• Innovation:  APIs provide flexibility, this allows for seamless connections with new business opportunities, new service options to existing consumers, and for the opportunity to enter into new markets that support digital transformation.
• Enhanced customer experience: APIs allow for seamless integration for customers. There’s a reason why approximately 50% of all B2B collaboration occurs via APIs – APIs allow for the customer to design and control their own experience.

ZorroSign’s API

ZorroSign’s understands the importance of APIs and that is why our seamless API integration process allows your users to remain on your existing platform’s user interface, while integrating our multi-chain blockchain platform for your transactions!

With ZorroSign, developers and product managers can tap the power of our six technologies features, as your organization benefits from our support with flexible pricing.

ZorroSign API can empower your organizations to:

• Incorporate and enforce multi-factor and biometrics authentication for added security
• Digitally sign and track documents in real time using your app or web application
• Automate forms and form-field data
• Send electronic signature requests
• Detect tampering and forgery
• And more!

Read more about our ZorroSign API or contact us today for a copy of our API Quick Start Guide!