ZorroSign today announced the integration of our data security platform—built on blockchain—with Meta’s WhatsApp instant messaging (IM) and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service.
WhatsApp is the world’s most popular messaging application with over two billion users in more than 180 countries. The service is the primary means of Internet communication in Latin America, the Indian subcontinent, and large parts of Europe and Africa.
This integration is a game-changing feature that revolutionizes how ZorroSign users manage their documents—elevating our user experience to unprecedented levels. With WhatsApp notifications, ZorroSign users can now receive instant alerts when actions are required for their Z-Sign documents or if any changes are made. This private, real-time communication ensures that users stay informed and empowered, enabling them to take prompt action and make informed decisions wherever they are.
“We are thrilled to announce the integration with WhatsApp, marking another milestone in our ongoing commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction,” said Shamsh Hadi, CEO and co-founder of ZorroSign. “Pairing the advanced data security of ZorroSign with the fast, simple, reliable communications of WhatsApp ensures our users that their digital documents, digital transactions, and digital privacy will always be protected.”
Switching from paper-based operations to digital operations is not only a smart business decision, but it is also good for the environment. Each time you use ZorroSign technologies to execute transactions digitally—instead of printing, faxing, scanning, and shipping documents to collect signatures—you save trees, save water, and reduce carbon emissions.
Plus your organization saves time and money with real-time WhatsApp notifications that enable fast, secure Z-signing!
With its focus on enhancing communication, collaboration, and workflow management, the new WhatsApp notifications feature underscores ZorroSign’s dedication to providing cutting-edge solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern businesses. Read more about ZorroSign’s technology platform and our commitment to sustainability today.
ZorroSign is proud to launch our highly anticipated Send Back feature!
This exciting functionality allows users to easily send their Z-Sign® envelopes back to any previous steps in the document workflow—with comments to explain any changes or additions required.
Envelopes that ZorroSign users Send Back will appear with a “Send Back” label within recipients’ Z-Vault® inboxes.
And with the Send Back comment section, users can readily identify what changes or additions they are being asked to make within the document or signing workflow.
Send Back is a simple, efficient way to update your document workflow or signing process . . . even after you’ve sent documents out for review, approval, or Z-signing!
Visit our online Help Center for more details on how to Send Back envelopes, or visit our YouTube channel for the latest how-to videos on key ZorroSign features. When privacy and security are on the line, Block It Down®!
ZorroSign is proud to announce the release of two new enhancements that will help to ensure the best digital signature experience on our data security company built on blockchain. . . let’s dive in!
ATTACHMENTS
Our new Attachment functionality allows users to assign attachments to users in a workflow plus add supporting files to envelopes being created. For example, once you have created a workflow and envelope, the new Attachment icon is now available on the top right of your screen.
When assigned attachments as a ZorroSign user, you can see how to add the specified attachments assigned to you, as well as add supporting files to the envelope, and view attached files added by previous users. Multiple files can be uploaded by selecting upload again and continuing the same process.
To learn more about how to assign attachments and add attachments to your envelope, visit our “how to” videos on YouTube at:
Our new Delegate functionality allows ZorroSign users more flexibility when it comes to signing and sending their documents. For example, you can now assign a delegate to Z-Sign envelopes on your behalf—when you are out of town, away from your devices, or do not have access to your ZorroSign account.
To access this new feature, you must contact [email protected] to add it to your organization. Then, your organization’s ZorroSign administrator can assign specific people access to delegate or allow your entire organization access.
When a delegator assigns someone else as delegate, all envelopes sent to the delegator—during the delegation period—will now appear in the delegate’s Z-Vault Inbox. When assigning a delegate, users must set a start and end date for the delegation period, and once that time period is expired, the delegate will lose access to delegated documents.
To learn how to enable Delegation for your organization, add someone as a delegate, and how to Z-Sign a document as a delegate, view our “how to” videos on YouTube at:
At ZorroSign, we are excited to continuously expand our data security platform on blockchain and bring you the very best user experience in digital signatures, data storage, document workflow management, and more!
At the end of November, we launched our ground-breaking next generation Android mobile application: Upgrading the ZorroSign user experience and user interface with new features, security, compliance and system updates.
At ZorroSign, our goal is to ensure our apps and platform deliver the most intuitive and user-friendly digital signature experience available!
Governments, businesses, organizations, and individuals around the world trust ZorroSign to safeguard their digital documents and to provide an immutable chain of custody for their digital transactions. ZorroSign integrates multiple blockchains (Hyperledger Fabric and Provenance Blockchain), digital signatures, automated compliance, intelligent forms, document storage, patented fraud prevention, user authentication and document verification, identity-as-a-service (IDaaS), and so much more.
When the risk is personal and everything is on the line, Block It Down!
ZorroSign’s data security platform built on blockchain includes:
Z-Sign® for legally binding digital signatures
Z-Forensics® token for patented fraud detection
Z-Flow® automation engine for building digital signature and approval workflows
Z-Fill® leveraging artificial intelligence/machine learning to speed form fill
Z-Verify® to ensure every document’s authenticity and immutability
Z-Vault® for blockchain-based document management
“We are thrilled to add this entirely new and leading-edge Android app to our technology stack,” said Shamsh Hadi, CEO and co-founder of ZorroSign. “Our development team is proud to deliver the best user experience in digital signatures, and our blockchain-based architecture elevates data privacy and security, while ensuring immutable records and legally enforceable digital signatures.”
With this exciting new Android app, you can Z-Sign documents:
Create genuine handwritten and computer-generated signatures
Z-Sign documents with a click of a button—any time, any place
Use Z-Fill to auto-complete fields while signing documents
Approve or reject documents
Share completed documents with others
Integrated with popular cloud drives
Add post-it notes to your documents
Upload attachments and supporting documents
Immutably store document and transaction details on blockchain
You can request signatures on documents:
Use templates or send one-time documents to Z-Sign
Upload multiple documents to Z-Sign
Supports multiple file formats
Prompts guide signers through precisely where to sign, initial, date, etc.
Define workflow through Z-Flow with signing order for multiple signers
Receive real-time push notifications
Track progress, identify bottlenecks in the workflow, and send reminders in your Z-Vault
Void/Cancel, expire, recall documents already out for digital signature
All with superior privacy, security and legality:
Digital signatures are legally binding and upheld in global courts of law
Meets International compliance and multiple accreditations
Use either private, permissioned Hyperledger Fabric or public, permissionless Provenance Blockchain
Complete chain of custody and audit trail with patented Z-Forensics technology
Validate and authenticate both digital and paper versions of Z-Sign documents
Detect any tampering, revisions, replaced or rejected documents
Use proprietary security certificates that never expire
The introduction of web3 has redefined the ways providers and customers interact in both the digital and physical world across many industries. The healthcare industry is no exception to this, so let’s look at some key ways that web3 technologies are changing the healthcare industry for better patient experiences . . .
Data Ownership
When it comes to healthcare, most people have multiple doctors and facilities that they count on to keep their data secure and store their records. Further, most patients do not have direct access to their healthcare records and have to go through healthcare professionals to obtain their records. This can be both frustrating and time-consuming for the patient.
“With Web 3.0, patients’ data can be stored on the blockchain using smart contracts” says a Med-Tech article, ”Any healthcare professional that needs to work with the patient can easily access the data by obtaining a public key or unique ID, eliminating the need for institutionalized data silos fenced off from the patient. In addition, this relieves hospital administrations of information overload due to the management of thousands of patient records.”
Web3 paves the way to accessible, efficient, and patient-centered healthcare. It introduces blockchain technology, which allows patients to have more ownership and control over their health data. Patients can also seamlessly share data with healthcare providers, reducing redundant tests and streamlining care. It enables the healthcare system to be patient-centric while also decentralizing data by transferring ownership to individuals.
Data Security
“95% of identity theft comes from stolen healthcare records,” according to an article by techjury. This statistic is shocking to hear considering an individual is more likely than not to have given their personal information at some point and time to a medical facility. It calls attention to the need to move away from the centralized storage system that most healthcare industry vastly relies on and move towards decentralization.
Blockchain is at the core of web3 and this enables healthcare professionals to store patient securely with immutable digital ledger technology. The healthcare data records are distributed over nodes, so an attacker would need access to each node in the network to hack, alter or delete the data, which is nearly impossible. Moreover, accessing the data needs the patients’ permission. Due to blockchain’s peer-to-peer consensus for changes, tampering with the data is also nearly impossible. This allows healthcare providers to store sensitive information securely with less fear of data breaches.
Blockchain’s immutable ledger also ensures the authenticity and integrity of medical records. Patients can trust that their health data has not been tampered with. This transparency fosters trust between patients and healthcare providers, enhancing peace of mind.
Telemedicine and Web3
Telehealth has been on the rise since 2020. According to Telehealth.gov, “Telemedicine, or telehealth, essentially lets your health care provider care for you without an in-person office visit. Telehealth is done primarily online with internet access on your computer, tablet, or smartphone.” Since the COVID19 pandemic, telehealth has jumped in both the volume of technology solutions and applications across medical fields.
Web3 technologies enable decentralized and secure data networks. Patients have more control over their data and therefore are more confident to share it online with medical professionals. With such convenience, security, and connectivity, the future of telemedicine looks bright!
ZorroSign is proud to be on the forefront of deploying web3 technologies—such as AI and blockchain—to improve patient experience in the healthcare industry with our data security platform built on blockchain. To learn how ZorroSign can supports healthcare by facilitating and securing the exchange of digital data, visit our Healthcare industry page or contact us today!
Guest blog by Kusal Munasinghe and Kushan Edirisooriya at ZorroSign, Inc.
Web3 has become a trending term in the technology space in recent years, and the excitement surrounding Web3 has led to many attempts of development, investment, and experimentation. In this article we will explore how the recent integration done by ZorroSign with Provenance Blockchain advances key Web3 concepts.
What is Centralization, Decentralization and Distribution?
In an era defined by technological innovation and the ever-expanding reach of the internet, the architecture of systems and networks has undergone a profound transformation. At the heart of this evolution lies the age-old debate surrounding centralization versus decentralization. As organizations and individuals grapple with the complex interplay of these paradigms, it becomes essential to navigate this spectrum effectively. The following paragraphs aim to unravel the intricacies of distributed, centralized, and decentralized systems, offering a comprehensive understanding of their characteristics, advantages, and challenges.
Centralization With centralized computing systems, all the processes, data storage, and validation are managed by a single and axial party. This sole party has all administrative power and access which makes it vulnerable as a single point of failure.
Decentralization Decentralization in computing refers to a design, or architectural approach, where computing resources, control, and decision-making are distributed across multiple nodes or devices rather than being concentrated in a single central authority or location. This approach has gained prominence in various areas of computing due to its potential benefits, which include increased scalability, fault tolerance, security, and user empowerment.
Decentralized network is a network configuration where there are multiple authorities serving as a centralized hub for participants. In the computing world, a decentralized network architecture distributes workloads among several machines instead of relying on a single central server.
Distribution In contrast, a distributed computing system is a network of interconnected computers or nodes that work together to perform tasks and solve problems. Here, there is no sole administrator, as these systems are designed to distribute computational and processing workloads across multiple machines, rather than relying on a single central computer.
In distribution models, every participant can communicate with one another without going through a centralized point. Since there are multiple pathways for communication, the loss of any participant will not prevent communication. Distributed computer systems are used to harness the collective computing power of multiple machines to solve complex problems, improve performance, and enhance reliability. They play a critical role in modern computing, particularly in cloud computing environments and large-scale data processing applications.
What are Peer-to-Peer Networks?
A peer-to-peer (P2P) network is a decentralized computer network where participants, known as peers, communicate and share resources directly with one another without the need for a centralized server or authority.
In a P2P network, every connected device can both request and provide services or resources, creating a distributed and collaborative network architecture. Some of the key characteristics and components of a peer-to-peer network are Decentralization, Symmetry, Resource Sharing, Privacy, and Anonymity.
Where Does Blockchain Fit?
Traditional data and document storage mechanisms are vulnerable to data manipulation and attacks because of centralization, limited transparency, and reliance on traditional security measures.
Blockchain is a distributed and decentralized digital ledger technology used to record transactions across multiple computers or nodes. It was originally created as the underlying technology for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, but its applications have since expanded far beyond digital currencies.
Blockchain technology has the potential to significantly impact democracy by enhancing transparency, accountability, and trust in democratic processes. Through its immutable and decentralized nature, blockchain can ensure that data and transactions are securely recorded and tamper-proof, addressing concerns of election fraud and manipulation. Data is more trustworthy in blockchain compared to traditional databases and other storages. Blockchain written data is immutable, hard to tamper and trusted.
Blockchain and Web3
Before we dive into Web3, a quick history review to understand what technologies preceded Web3.
Web1 was dedicated to users searching for data. This web version is sometimes called “the read-only Web”, for example reading a newspaper from the web. Web1 was made up of a small number of people generating content for a larger audience and was the first step of the big journey.
Today’s Web2 has many people creating even more content for a growing audience. Web1 focused on reading, but Web2 focused on participating and contributing such as content publishing in social media. The big tech companies of 2023 are Web2 leaders.
Finally to Web3. Web3 is an approach poised to redefine the way we interact with digital technologies and the internet itself. Unlike its predecessors—which primarily focused on delivering information and facilitating user interactions through centralized platforms—Web3 introduces a decentralized, trustless, and user-centric model that empowers individuals to take control of their online experiences and data.
Key areas in Web3 are blockchain technology, decentralized networks, and cryptographic principles to create a more open, transparent, and secure digital ecosystem. It enables peer-to-peer interactions, facilitates autonomous smart contracts, and ensures data ownership and privacy, all without the need for intermediaries or centralized authorities.
Blockchain uses consensus mechanisms to verify and validate new blocks to the network. Therefore, only genuine and verified transactions are stored inside the block. Provenance Blockchain, for example, uses proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanisms and that will ensure the trust and security of blockchain.
(Proof-of-stake or PoS was created as an alternative to proof-of-work or PoW, the original consensus mechanism used to validate transactions and mine new blocks on Bitcoin. PoW requires “miners”—individual computers—to solve cryptographic puzzles, while PoS requires “validators” to own and stake tokens for the privilege of earning transaction fees. Such validators verify transactions, vote on outcomes, and maintain records to ensure non-repudiation.)
Non-repudiation is a feature that comes with blockchain that refers to the assurance that a party in a communication or transaction cannot deny the authenticity or integrity of a message, action, or agreement that they have previously taken. In essence, it ensures that once a party has sent a message, performed an action, or agreed to a contract, they cannot later claim that they did not do so.
The goal of Web3 is to allow users to regain sovereignty over their data, participate in decentralized governance, and explore innovative ways to collaborate, transact, and communicate on the internet. As Web3 continues to evolve and mature, it has the potential to reshape industries and empower individuals.
In short, Web3 is the decentralized version of the internet and blockchain technologies are key to enabling technology for Web3.
The Advance of ZorroSign’s Integration with Provenance Blockchain
Provenance Blockchain is a groundbreaking technology that has revolutionized the way we track and verify the origins and ownership of assets in various industries. Provenance Blockchain is specifically designed to provide a transparent and immutable record of the history of physical and digital assets, including products, documents, and more.
Purpose-built for the financial services and insurance industry, Provenance Blockchain is routinely the blockchain of choice for tokenization with over $8 billion in real-world financial asset total value locked (TVL). The platform has played a key role in several financial services firsts, including the first blockchain-native consumer loans, first asset-backed securitization on blockchain, and the first bank-minted tokenized deposits in the United States. Provenance Blockchain is leveraged by more than 70 leading financial institutions including Apollo Global Management, Hamilton Lane, Guaranteed Rate, and innovative fintechs.
The primary objective of integrating ZorroSign with Provenance blockchain is to enhance the transparency, and authenticity of document transactions. Immutable document Integrity is achieved as Provenance Blockchain record document hash of the final document and produce a unique transaction hash. This ensures that the document is tamper-proof as Provenance’s transaction hash can be publicly viewed and verified for its authenticity.
The goal of integrating ZorroSign with Provenance Blockchain is to create a more secure, transparent, and efficient environment for handling and storing documents while ensuring superior data integrity and authenticity. Compared to other document signing platforms which rely on traditional storages, ZorroSign offers clear advantages when it comes to trust & security because of its innovative use of Blockchain technology.
What Does This Integration Mean for Web3?
By offering a tamper-proof and decentralized ledger, Provenance Blockchain enhances trust, reduces fraud, and improves accountability, opening doors for a new level of transparency and integrity in asset management and ownership verification. Being a public blockchain, Provenance Blockchain provides the extra advantage of having the transaction link where verification is possible without relying on a user account or login into a system. This is a key value proposition of Web3.
Where Do We Go from Here?
With today’s integration, ZorroSign has embarked on a journey that could bring out best in both ZorroSign and Provenance Blockchain for our users. Two specific goals moving forward:
The ZorroSign development team is assessing the replacement of the global B2B wallet used for Provenance Blockchain transactions with individual user’s specific wallets. This would be a revolutionary step as it will achieve true data democracy: Making sure that each user who signs the document will have his/her ownership of the transaction, and therefore the ownership of the document. This level of integration will not be as easy, as it must resolve many technical and business flow challenges as a significant split from the familiar Web2 model. Research for this Web3 wallet individualization is already under way.
The ZorroSign development team aspires to also run the entire document-signing flow based on data contracts in Provenance Blockchain, and so even store the documents themselves in blockchain nodes. Such storage would deliver the highest security, integrity, authenticity for documents and give the full ownership of the document to the signed wallet owner.
Both of these future developments are in progress. ZorroSign’s dreams for Provenance Blockchain may shape the very future of Web3 and we are thrilled to share each step of the way!
ZorroSign is proud to support sustainability projects around the world. In a recent effort, we are actively participating in the visionary program from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE), whose “National Carbon Sequestration Project” will plant 100 million mangroves by 2030 across the country.
“The project is part of the strategic directions of the UAE to increase reliance on nature-based solutions in facing environmental challenges, and to enhance efforts to capture carbon dioxide to mitigate the effects of climate change and enhance adaptation capabilities,” reports Gulf News. “Mangroves can absorb and capture carbon up to four to five times greater than wild tropical rain forests, in addition to being a safe natural habitat for marine biodiversity, as 80 per cent of global fish populations depend on healthy mangrove ecosystems.”
ZorroSign is not only planting mangrove trees with the paper saved through our Save a Tree Plant a Tree program, but CEO and co-founder, Shamsh Hadi, is with his family personally planting mangroves as part of the National Carbon Sequestration Project.
“We planted 40 mangroves this weekend,” said Hadi. “It was a wonderful experience for my family, as they got to participate first-hand in this important ecological effort. We have long supported the Ismaili CIVIC Mangrove Forest project, managed by Ismaili CIVIC UAE with Major Ali Saqr Sultan Al Suweidi, founder of the Emirates Marine Environmental Group, and love seeing directly how our personal contributions can support our community.”
“Tropical mangrove forests are complex ecosystems anchored around mangrove trees that thrive in inhospitable hot, muddy and salty conditions,” adds a recent Reuters report. “They protect coastal communities against storms and floods, host diverse and threatened species and can soften climate change by capturing atmospheric carbon.”
“The UAE’s National Carbon Sequestration Project roadmap includes four activities: Evaluating mangrove planting sites, producing mangrove seeds and seedlings, a programme for planting seeds and seedlings in selected sites, and monitoring and following up on planted mangroves and the levels of carbon that will be captured,” notes Gulf News. “To enhance efforts towards achieving this ambitious goal by 2030, MoCCAE said it is working with its partners within an integrated system to implement project activities through cooperation with government and private sector institutions and international non-governmental organisations.”
Beyond the mangrove planting, ZorroSign champions sustainability efforts in partnership with One Tree Planted, the United Nations’ Plant for the Planet, and the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) hosted in Dubai, UAE this November 2023.
To learn more about ZorroSign advancing technology while advancing sustainability, visit our Sustainability page for details!
ZorroSign Announces Growth Partnership with Vision Tech Solutions
Strategic Reseller Partnership Brings ZorroSign’s Data Security Platform to New Markets
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, September 26, 2023 /EIN Presswire / — ZorroSign, Inc., a global leader in data security solutions built on blockchain, today announced a strategic partnership with Vision Tech Solutions in the United Arab Emirates. This partnership will unite ZorroSign’s data security platform and blockchain technologies with Vision Tech Solution’s IT infrastructure and services across the Gulf region. Initially as a reseller, Vision Tech Solutions will bring ZorroSign to new companies and new markets as the partnership deepens with integrated capabilities and technology alignment.
“We are thrilled to partner with Rajab and his team at Vision Tech,” said Shamsh Hadi, CEO and co-founder of ZorroSign. “Their customer service focus and top quality IT services map well to ZorroSign’s values and data security strengths. We are eager to see what our combined technology solutions can achieve for companies in the UAE, the larger Middle East and North Africa region, and later into Europe.”
ZorroSign was founded with a commitment to advancing technology while advancing sustainability, and ZorroSign’s goal is to help customers adopt sustainable practices and securely transform paper-based workflows into digital workflows. This conscientious approach to operations helps to decrease costs, lower resource consumption, reduce data errors, and increase productivity. Businesses, educational institutions, financial organisations, governments, IT firms, legal service providers, real estate companies, and others use ZorroSign to privately and securely manage their digital transactions.
Vision Tech Solutions’ Rajab Ali Virani and ZorroSign’s Shamsh Hadi signing partnership agreement
“Vision Tech aspires to be a global leader in Information Technology, driving technological advancements and delivering sustainable solutions that improve the lives of people around the world,” added Rajab Virani, CEO at Vision Tech Solutions. “ZorroSign is an ideal technology partner for us—not only bringing a practical, scalable blockchain solution to data security and digital signatures, but doing so with an overarching commitment to sustainability.”
ZorroSign today has an extensive customer base for its data security and digital signature solutions built on blockchain in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, India, Sri Lanka, the United States, and Canada. The technology company is aggressively expanding into European markets next and seeking new strategic alliances across the EU and UK in 2023.
###
About Vision Tech Solutions
Vision Tech Solutions DMCC specializes in providing companies with bespoke IT technical services, consultancies, infrastructure, and support. Headquartered in Dubai, UAE, Vision Tech Solutions unites a qualified and experienced technical and management team, whose collective experience in the IT industry spans several decades, to deliver the most proper technical applications for transformation to blockchain technologies with emphasis on the economic return. A strong research and development team working on futuristic technologies contribute to the company’s success in providing leading-edge technologies to its clients. To learn more visit visiontechsolutions.com
About ZorroSign
ZorroSign, Inc. uses blockchain for superior data privacy and security. Governments, businesses, organisations and individuals around the world trust ZorroSign to safeguard their digital documents and to provide an immutable chain of custody for their digital transactions. The company’s data security platform integrates multiple blockchains (Hyperledger Fabric and Provenance Blockchain), digital signatures, automated compliance, AI/ML form completion, document storage, patented fraud detection, user authentication and document verification, identity-as-a-service (IDaaS), and so much more. When the risk is personal and everything is on the line, Block It Down! To learn more visit zorrosign.com
ZorroSign’s data security platform built on blockchain serves customers around the world and across dozens of industries!
We are pleased to share customer case studies that showcase how ZorroSign’s platform is used by businesses in banking and finance, healthcare, professional services, real estate, and many others.
For some quick examples, download our case study on an international healthcare organization providing clinically actionable medical informatics . . .
Or our case study on McKinley Consulting Group using ZorroSign for digital signatures and workflow automation . . .
Or our case study on a US clinical research company that validates cosmetics and skin care manufacturer claims from around the world . . .
Or our case study on how a title company uses ZorroSign as an electronic escrow solution to safely and securely execute real estate transactions . . .
Let us know what additional industries you might like covered in case studies, or visit our growing list of real-world customer deployments at Case Studies.
Passwordless login capabilities provide a secure and convenient way for companies to authenticate users and can play an important role in your security stack by minimizing the human risk-factor.
One of the main benefits of passwordless authentication is that it eliminates the need for users to remember and manage multiple passwords. With users no longer needing to recall their passwords—and also then unable to share their passwords—the risk of password-related security breaches, such as phishing and brute force attacks, plus password reuse is significantly reduced.
Another key benefit of passwordless login is that it provides a more seamless and user-friendly experience. With passwordless login, users can authenticate themselves with a variety of methods such as biometric authentication, one-time passcodes sent via SMS, or a security key. This facilitates user adoption and reduces the risk of users circumventing security measures.
Passwordless login also provides a way to secure remote transactions, as users can authenticate themselves without the need to be physically present at a location. This is particularly useful in today’s digital world where remote work and online transactions are becoming more and more prevalent.
Moreover, passwordless login capabilities can also be integrated with multi-factor authentication (MFA) to provide an additional layer of security. MFA can help to protect against identity theft and other cyber threats by requiring users to provide multiple forms of authentication—critically important for companies that handle sensitive data or operate in regulated industries.
By incorporating passwordless login capabilities into your security stack, you can improve your security posture and reduce costs. Passwordless authentication:
Eliminates the need for users to remember and manage multiple passwords,
Provides a more seamless and user-friendly experience,
Secures remote transactions, and
Can be integrated with multi-factor authentication.
Organizations that adopt passwordless login capabilities better secure your digital assets, improve user adoption, and reduce the risk of security breaches. Read our latest eBook for further details and to learn how ZorroSign delivers blockchain, digital signatures, identity-as-a-service, and passwordless authentication for your security stack!
Digital Transformation in the Healthcare Industry
Over the past decade there is no question that the healthcare industry has experienced profound transformation when it comes to technology. This shift has brought enhanced patient care and streamlined processes.
One prominent advancement in technology for healthcare was the created of electronic health records, or EHRs. Healthit.gov defines an EHR as “a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. EHRs are real-time, patient-centered records that make information available instantly and securely to authorized users. EHRs have becomes an instrumental technological advancement through the way they can:
“Contain a patient’s medical history, diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, immunization dates, allergies, radiology images, and laboratory and test results,
“Allow access to evidence-based tools that providers can use to make decisions about a patient’s care, and
”Automate and streamline provider workflows.”
One of the main reasons EHRs were created was to ensure health information can be created and shared across authorized providers in a digital format readily managed by multiple health care organizations. This allows for a broader network of communication and sharing between medical professionals seeking to diagnose and treat individual patients.
Another remarkable technology advancement has been the rise of telemedicine. According to Telehealth.gov, “Telemedicine, or telehealth, essentially lets your health care provider care for you without an in-person office visit. Telehealth is done primarily online with internet access on your computer, tablet, or smartphone.” Since the pandemic, telehealth has jumped in both the volume of technology solutions and applications across medical fields.
A third example of emerging healthcare technologies can be found in wearables. “With an aging population in much of the developed world, wearables can be effective at prevention of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, by helping patients to monitor and improve their fitness,” notes Proclinical.
Wearable healthcare devices for monitoring and diagnostics are a kind of internet of medical things (IoMT) or healthcare IoT that facilitates remote patient monitoring (RPM) and supports telemedicine. “IoMT enables the use of new technology that facilities patient self-service and minimizes the need for in-person visits,” explains TechTarget. “Consumer-grade wearables give patients access to data that they might traditionally have had to go to a doctor to get.”
The convergence of healthcare and technologies such as these has paved the way for a new era of efficiency, accessibility, and innovation—redefining the way we approach medical services and patient data.
Importance of HIPPA Compliance and Data Security with the Advancement of Technology
With the rise of EHRs, telemedicine, wearables, and other healthcare technologies, there is a growing concern for data security and compliance. This is especially true in the healthcare industry where the data is always personal, and data privacy and security are mandated by law—specifically in the United States with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
The importance of safeguarding patient data in accordance with HIPAA regulations has driven the development of robust security measures, encryption protocols, and strict access controls. To maintain HIPAA compliance, digital technologies have regular security audits and updates to identify vulnerabilities and ensure that the systems adhere to the latest security standards.
On top of HIPPA compliance, platforms that manage data security healthcare may bolster data privacy and security by leveraging:
Blockchain technologies —by providing a secure, transparent, and efficient way to store and share information (such as patient healthcare records, prescriptions, diagnostic data across providers, etc.), blockchains are making it possible to improve patient care, reduce costs, and streamline administrative processes.
Identity as a Service (IDaaS) — offering a comprehensive solution that addresses identity management, authentication, access control, and compliance, contributing to a more secure healthcare system.
Passwordless authentication — by eliminating the vulnerabilities associated with passwords and delivering a seamless user experience, passwordless authentication methods improve data protection, compliance, and overall cybersecurity in healthcare environments.
ZorroSign Delivers HIPAA-compliant Privacy with the Elevated Security of a Web3 Platform
At ZorroSign, our HIPAA-compliant data security platform built in blockchain supports healthcare organizations with digital records, digital signatures, and document workflows.
Our platform ensures superior privacy and security with blockchain, IDaaS, and passwordless authentication, plus:
Legal enforceability — reducing insurance fraud with digital signatures that are legally binding, tied to the actual person (signatory attribution), and immutable with court-admissible security certificates that never expire
Cost-savings — through automating patient, diagnostic, insurance, payment, and recordkeeping workflows and digitizing paper applications, forms, and records
Improved patient services — digitizing your office operations to quickly execute, store, track, and retrieve:
Claims management, payments, and prior authorization
Facilities management
Human resources processes
Logistics and procurement
Patient sign-in and consent
Power of Attorney and Proxy Agreements
Prescription approval routing
ZorroSign is just one of the new technologies driving improvements in healthcare and expanding the patient services that healthcare providers can deliver.
To learn how ZorroSign can support your healthcare organization’s data privacy and security, visit our Healthcare industry page or contact us today!
ZorroSign updated our user experience last year, making it even easier for you to Z-Sign agreements, execute transactions, and manage digital documents on blockchain.
To showcase our new user experience, we’re producing video “shorts” to show actual ZorroSign users signing agreements, building approval workflows, and managing digital documents anywhere, any time. For example:
Further, we have great testimonials on our YouTube channel here.
And you can view our growing library of How-To videos showcasing basic ZorroSign functionality, including Z-Sign, here.
Sign up for a 14-day Free Trial (no credit card required) to put us to the test, or contact us if you’d like to see any other videos on ZorroSign, Z-Sign, or our other key features.
When security is mission-critical, Block It Down!
It has long been claimed that blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize the way companies approach security. By leveraging the decentralized and immutable nature of blockchain, companies can enhance your security stack and protect against a wide range of threats.
One of the main benefits of blockchain technology is its ability to provide secure and tamper-proof record keeping. The decentralized nature of blockchains ensures that there is no single point of failure—which also means that hackers cannot easily compromise the system. Additionally, the use of cryptography and consensus mechanisms ensures that once data is recorded on the blockchain, it is extremely difficult to alter or delete.
Another security benefit of blockchain technology is its ability to provide secure and transparent transactions. By using smart contracts, companies can automate and streamline processes, while also ensuring that all transactions are recorded in a transparent and immutable manner. This can help to reduce the risk of fraud and increase trust between parties.
Blockchain technology can also be used to improve supply chain management. By using blockchain, your organization can track products and goods as they move through supply chains—providing real-time visibility into the status and location of products. This can help to improve efficiency, reduce costs, reduce fraud, and increase transparency.
Moreover, blockchain technologies such as Hyperledger Fabric (private, permissioned) and Provenance Blockchain (public, permissionless) can be used to enhance cybersecurity by providing encrypted and immutable identity management. Blockchain-based identity and access management (IAM) systems provide secure and decentralized storage of identity data, making it more difficult for hackers to steal or compromise sensitive information.
By incorporating blockchain technology into your security stack, companies can enhance your security posture and protect against a wide range of threats. Blockchains provide:
Secure and tamper-proof record keeping,
Secure and transparent transactions,
Improved supply chain management, and
Enhanced identity management.
Together, these make blockchain technology an attractive option for companies looking to improve your security. And organizations that leverage blockchain technology to improve your security will be strongly-positioned to succeed in the years ahead!
To read more about the growing risks to digital data in 2023—and learn how adding blockchain technologies to your security stack can combat those risks—download our eBook today or contact us to start a discussion!
Blockchain has emerged as a transformational technology in various industries over the last few years. When it comes to legal services, blockchain technologies can support the privacy, security and document management requirements vital to law firms, legal departments, and attorneys.
Here are some ways blockchains can revolutionize legal services and offer a multitude of benefits to enhance efficiency, security and trust in legal operations worldwide.
Smart Contracts
Blockchain technology incorporating smart contracts, for example, can automate the process of creating, executing and managing contracts. Smart contracts, which are self-executing contracts with the terms and conditions directly written into code, can be stored and executed on the blockchain. This hard-coded contract management eliminates the need for intermediaries, reduces the risk of fraud, and ensures transparency.
Smart contracts also have the potential to revolutionize dispute resolution within the legal system. In the event of a disputed agreement or terms, the transparency and auditability of smart contracts enable quick and efficient resolution. Parties involved can rely on the immutable records stored on the blockchain to validate the final state of the contract and ensure fair outcomes.
“The advent of blockchain technology and smart contracts presents a unique opportunity for the legal industry to evolve and adapt to the demands of the digital age,” notes a recent CityLife article. Legal professionals can thus benefit from using blockchain technology that enables the creation, storage, and execution of smart contracts, ensuring secure and tamper-proof agreements, while advancing their client services.
Immutable Document Management
Legal services heavily rely on accurate and trustworthy evidence. Blockchain’s immutability and transparency make it the ideal solution for managing legal documents and data in digital formats. By providing a tamper-proof record of all contract-related activities, blockchain technology can help to ensure that all parties are held accountable for their actions and to their commitments. This can be especially important in cases of complex, multi-party contracts, where it can be difficult to track and manage all of the different activities and obligations.
Blockchain “technology generates a systematic, untampered audit trail of the history of any action taking place in a document, which can be viewed in a history tree, providing a more superior history and audit trail than anything else that currently exists,” explains Accenture. “The digitization of paper-based contracts onto the blockchain holds the potential to revolutionize the way contracts are prepared, transacted, amended, stored and complied with.”
The legal industry rests on maintaining accurate and trustworthy records and evidence. Blockchain’s immutability and transparency make it an ideal technology for document management and evidence preservation for law firms, legal departments, and attorneys.
Digital Identity Verification
In one more example, identity verification is a fundamental aspect of work done in legal services, whether it involves client onboarding, compliance, notarization, or other agreements between strangers. Blockchain technology can streamline these processes by enabling decentralized and secure digital identity verification through blockchain-based identity solutions.
“Blockchain-based identity has the potential to offer increased security, privacy, and efficiency in various industries, including banking, supply chain management, and voting,” notes Jay Speakman in a new Be In Crypto article. “By creating a decentralized and tamper-proof identity application, blockchain can reduce the risk of identity theft and fraud while providing users with more control over their personal data.”
With such technologies, individuals control their personal information via blockchain, granting access to specific details only when they choose to share. This not only enhances privacy and creates a relationship of trust, but as mentioned above, can greatly reduce identity theft and fraud.
ZorroSign For Legal Services
ZorroSign’s data security platform built on blockchain technology is just what your legal team needs to take the privacy and security of your law firm to the next level. To learn more about how ZorroSign supports attorneys, and how blockchains elevate legal services, visit our Legal industry page or contact ZorroSign today!
The ever-growing amount of digital data and the increasing complexity of cyber threats have made data security more important than ever before. In 2023, companies must take steps to elevate your data security to protect both your own information and that of your customers.
One of the main risks to digital data today is the increasing sophistication of cyber attacks. Hackers are using more advanced techniques to bypass traditional security measures—such as using machine learning to evade detection and launching targeted phishing and spear-phishing attacks against specific organizations. Companies must be prepared to defend against these types of attacks by implementing advanced security measures, such as artificial intelligence-based security solutions, and regularly updating and patching your systems.
Another risk to digital data in 2023 is the growing number of connected devices and the Internet of Things (IoT). As more devices are connected to the internet, the attack surface for hackers becomes larger, making it easier for them to gain access to sensitive information. Companies must take steps to secure your IoT devices and to ensure that those devices are not used as a means to gain access to other systems.
Further, the use of cloud services and the increasing amount of data that is stored in the cloud has also increased the risk of data breaches. Companies must ensure that your cloud services are properly configured and that you are using a reputable provider with a strong track record of security. Companies also need to implement strong access controls and encryption to protect data stored in the cloud.
Protecting data against the growing risks in 2023 requires a multi-layered approach that includes regular updates and patching, securing IoT devices, properly configuring cloud services, adopting advanced security measures such as:
Blockchain technologies for tamper-proof record keeping with no single point of failure
Digital signature technologies to authenticate and authorize remote transactions
Identity-as-a-Service solutions for scalable identity and access management (IAM)
Passwordless authentication to reduce the human risk in security systems
Organizations that fail to take these steps will be at a higher risk of data breaches and will be more vulnerable to cyberattacks.
It is important to remember that data security is not only important to protect your company’s information but also to protect the personal data of your customers and employees.
To read more about the growing risks to digital data in 2023—and learn how adding blockchain, digital signature, IDaaS, and passwordless authentication technologies to your security stack can combat those risks—download our eBook today or contact us to start a discussion!
Though still an emerging technology in the healthcare industry, blockchains have the potential to transform the U.S. (and global) healthcare industry.
By providing a secure, transparent, and efficient way to store and share information (such as patient healthcare records, prescriptions, diagnostic data across providers, etc.), blockchains are making it possible to improve patient care, reduce costs, and streamline administrative processes. Let’s look at how the healthcare industry is already using blockchain technologies . . .
Blockchain Applications Today
Electronic health record (EHR) management — blockchains can be used to securely store and share patient health and medical records—where electronic medical records, or EMRs, are “a patient’s medical history that is maintained electronically by a single provider,” explains Forbes, while EHRs represent a “patient’s medical history that is maintained electronically by multiple providers.” This application of blockchains can improve patient care by making it easier for doctors and other healthcare providers to access the information they need to make informed decisions. And blockchain technologies can also help to reduce costs by eliminating the need for duplicate records.
Clinical trials — here, blockchains can be used to manage clinical trials more efficiently, as by storing clinical data on a blockchain, researchers can track patient progress and outcomes in real time. This can help to improve the efficiency of trials and speed up the development of new treatments. “Blockchain may offer a solution to more easily aggregate health data in a secure, trusted, automated, and error-free way,” notes Deloitte. “A solution which enforces rules, privacy, and regulations in a mutually agreed upon manner, resulting in a smart contract between patient and health care stakeholders can be an important enabler to clinical trials and research.”
Supply chain management — blockchains can be used to better track the movement of medical supplies and medications with the technologies immutable and transparent recordkeeping. This can help to ensure the safety and quality of these products, and it can also reduce fraud. “Currently, most medical and pharmaceutical supply chains are facing significant logistical challenges, including a lack of real-time visibility into shipment locations, uncertainty transportation disruptions, product quality tracking and verification, cross-border customs reporting across borders, and complicated invoicing and payments,” write Jayendra S. Jadhav and Jyoti Deshmukh in a ScienceDirect article. “A blockchain-based supply chain, on the other hand, could track every step for every item immutably, transparently, and efficiently.”
Payment processing — blockchains can be used to process payments for healthcare services (patient and insurers), helping to reduce costs and improve efficiency. For example, “Insurers can now work with digital transformation platforms to design and develop blockchain technologies to target specific needs instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach,” says Julien Breteau in recent The Digital Insurer article.
Healthcare research — blockchain data storage and sharing can be readily used to manage the data from healthcare research studies. This use helps to accelerate the pace of research and improve the development of new treatments. “The growing digitization of medical care has advanced the acknowledgment of issues about secure storage, accessing of patients’ medical records, ownership, and medical data from associated sources,” explains a recent National Library of Medicine article. “Blockchain is recommended as a method of addressing critical issues faced by healthcare, for instance, protected sharing of health records and adherence to data privacy laws.”
Universal Blockchain Benefits
As blockchain technologies are tailored to healthcare, the universal benefits of this distributed ledger architecture include stronger security (as data is encrypted and distributed across multiple nodes), greater transparency (as transactions recorded on public blockchains where any node can view them), greater efficiency (automating manual data entry and record keeping processes), and more opportunities for interoperability (as blockchains can connect different healthcare systems and organizations).
ZorroSign for Healthcare
And at ZorroSign, our secure, HIPAA-compliant data security platform built in blockchain supports healthcare organizations with digital records, digital signatures, and document workflows. Our platform ensures:
Legal enforceability — reducing insurance fraud with digital signatures that are legally binding, tied to the actual person (signatory attribution), and immutable with court-admissible security certificates that never expire
Digital privacy and security — a platform built on blockchain with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to eliminate the errors of manual processes and transcription with full Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) compliance
Cost-savings — through automating patient, diagnostic, insurance, payment, and recordkeeping workflows and digitizing paper applications, forms, and records
Improved patient services — digitizing your office operations to quickly execute, store, track, and retrieve:
Claims management, payments, and prior authorization
Facilities management
Human resources processes
Logistics and procurement
Patient sign-in and consent
Power of Attorney and Proxy Agreements
Prescription approval routing
Healthcare providers know the value of serving more patients with the same staff, plus saving costs with digital technologies that help meet regulatory compliance while reducing paper, printing, and storage expenses.
Blockchain technologies are helping meet those needs in healthcare and expanding the patient services healthcare providers can deliver. To learn more, visit our Healthcare industry page or contact ZorroSign today!
Between Earth Day on April 22nd and Arbor Day on April 28th, ZorroSign pauses to reflect on our sustainability efforts and how we support the conservation goals behind these two key days of environmental awareness.
ZorroSign, Inc. is the first company in the world to bring blockchain technologies to digital signatures—elevating the data privacy and security of digital transactions. We are proud of this effort, as it helps people around the globe to transform the way they secure their digital data and to escape paper-based operations. By leveraging blockchain technologies for a lifetime of privacy and security with digital signatures, identities, and documents, our technology drives a “Paperless Life” for businesses, governments, and organizations: Creating, reviewing, approving, executing, and storing digital contracts and documents on immutable blockchains instead of paper.
Further, with our Save a Tree/Plant a Tree program, ZorroSign plants a tree on behalf of our customers every time they save 8,000 pages of copy paper! One tree produces roughly 8,000 pages of copy paper and studies show that by eliminating or reducing the use of paper, we can realize significant environmental benefits such as conserving water, reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality, and slowing deforestation.
2022 saw ZorroSign complete significant creative upgrades to its SaaS platform to speed organizations’ move to sustainable digital operations: First deploying a more scalable microservices and containers architecture in response to aggressive growth, second evolving to a multi-chain platform for further adaptability, and third updating the entire user experience with a new user interface and workflow. These enhancements allow ZorroSign to deliver the best user experience in digital signatures and so accelerate digital operations that minimize paper consumption.
ZorroSign is the only company in the world that offers a multi-blockchain platform to secure, track, and manage digital signatures, transactions, and documentation. By using such distributed ledger technologies—built initially on a Hyperledger Fabric and recently expanded to include the Provenance Blockchain—ZorroSign’s architecture provides structural layers of protection from ransomware, malware, and phishing attacks: Foremost, by decentralizing the data set, preventing any breach from accessing the entire data set, and further by giving endpoints (or nodes) a quick path to recovery, even if they are breached or their access is ransomed.
ZorroSign’s innovations in sustainability have been recognized by visionary clients around the world! To learn more, visit our sustainability page or contact us to start a free 14 day trial today.
Teams unite in Colombo, Sri Lanka
The global ZorroSign teams gathered the past two weeks for a series of strategic meetings to kick-off Q2-2023!
First, the US team visited Colombo, Sri Lanka for three days of fellowship and planning with the development team…
We participated in a leadership and communications seminar presented by Murtaza Esufally and Anushka Fernando-Goonetilleke from Learn 4 Life Lanka
Communications Seminar
Celebrated new roles and responsibilities at a joyful team dinner at the Galle Face Hotel…
Team Dinner at the Galle Face Hotel
Aligned development, sales, and marketing deliverables in light of the very exciting strategic customers and partnerships we have coming onboard in Q2…
And toured some of the amazing beaches, restaurants, shops, and temples of Sri Lanka!
Temple ElephantSugar Beach
Then the US team visited Dubai, UAE to meet with the operations team for planning and alignment…
Synchronized our financial, human resources, and marketing targets…
Teams unite in Dubai, UAE
Met with our communications partners at Cicero & Bernay…
And enjoyed the beautiful sights of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the United Arab Emirates!
Camel ride in the desertSheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu DhabiDinner at the Dubai Mall outside the Burj KhalifaViews from the 125th Floor of the Burj Khalifa
When security is mission-critical, your business needs secure digital signatures, transactions, and documentation—block it down!
Adding to ZorroSign’s long list of privacy and security compliance certifications, we are proud to announce our data security platform built on blockchain has recently been certified as Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant!
Specifically, through our “policies, procedures, and technical systems that store, process and/or transmit cardholder data, Zorrosign has performed the required procedures to validate compliance with the PCI DSS, the best practices designed to protect merchants and consumers from data security breaches and fraud.” Find our certification here.
The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) has set data security standards, notes Signature Payments: “Any merchant or payment processor whose systems need to handle credit card details must comply with PCI standards. PCI compliance is the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) that companies that process, store, or transmit credit card information must adhere to. The PCI DSS was designed by credit card companies (Visa, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and JCB) to help protect cardholders from fraud and data breaches.”
This certification reflects ZorroSign’s ongoing commitment to data privacy and security. Paired with our digital signatures, document management, workflow and compliance automation, and identity-as-a-service capabilities, PCI DSS compliance is the latest in a global list of security benchmarks we are excited to advance. To learn more, contact us or put us to the test with Free Trial today!
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!
ZorroSign is proud to be a sponsor of this year’s Game of Codes at the University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka!
Game of Codes is a program idea initiated by the IEEE WIE Affinity Group of the University of Kelaniya as an inter-university game development competition. The main goal of this event is to uplift the knowledge of game development among undergraduates, especially girls.
The Game of Codes brings together beginners and participants who have intermediate knowledge of game development across the country into one platform filled with competitiveness and enjoyment. Participants are given basic game development knowledge through two workshops conducted by industry experts. The event consists of two phases, two-day workshops and the competition called Battle of Coders:
Workshops – The participants will be guided to develop a game with basic functionalities.
Battle of Coders Competition – Teams will be given the opportunity to take part in a 24-hour competition. The teams should come up with a game according to the given criteria.
The final submissions of the game is evaluated by a panel of judges in the relevant domains, and the best three teams are rewarded in appreciation of their talents.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) describes itself as “the world’s largest technical professional society – promoting the development and application of electrotechnology and allied sciences for the benefit of humanity, the advancement of the profession, and the wellbeing of our members.” The society took the lead in organizing activities such as awareness sessions and technology workshops.
IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE), an affinity group of IEEE, is the largest international professional organization dedicated to promoting women engineers and scientists. It plays a vital role in inspiring girls worldwide to follow their academic interests to a career in engineering. The mission of IEEE WIE is to facilitate the global recruitment and retention of women in technical disciplines. IEEE WIE envisions a vibrant community of IEEE women and men collectively using their diverse talents to innovate for the benefit of humanity.
ZorroSign is grateful to help sponsor this exciting event and supports all of the IEEE engineers as they lift women up to innovate for the benefit of humanity.
Blockchain Supports CLM
Contract lifecycle management (CLM), at the most basic description, is the process of managing the creation, execution, and administration of contracts. CLM involves a wide range of activities, including drafting and negotiating contracts, storing and managing contract documents, and tracking and managing contract performance.
“In any typical workday, week, quarter, and fiscal year, the average Fortune 1000 company may handle several tens of thousands of contracts,” notes JD Supra. “Each contract will need to be negotiated, reviewed, and executed. Then, when that part of the process is complete, with signatures on the proverbial dotted lines, the lifecycle management of that contract begins, including monitoring for regulatory compliance and “re”-review at renewal time. This very real scenario commands at least half, and as much as 70%, of legal professionals’ time.”
At ZorroSign, we believe blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize contract lifecycle management in three key ways:
By providing a secure, decentralized database, blockchain technology can enable faster, more efficient, and more secure contract management for legal professionals;
Blockchain can also help to reduce the risk of fraud and errors; and,
Blockchain can provide a more transparent and auditable record of all contract-related activities for regulatory compliance and renewals.
One of the most well-known applications of blockchain technology in CLM is in the realm of smart contracts. A smart contract is a self-executing contract with the terms of the agreement between buyer and seller being directly written into lines of code. The code—and the agreement it represents—are stored on the blockchain, which makes them secure, transparent, and auditable. Smart contracts have the potential to streamline a wide range of contract-related activities, including contract drafting, negotiation, and execution.
Another area where blockchain technology can complement contract lifecycle management is in the storage and management of contract documents. Traditional methods of storing and managing contract documents can be slow and prone to errors, but blockchain technology has the potential to make the process faster, cheaper, and more secure. By using a decentralized database to store contract documents, blockchain technology can enable faster, more accurate, and more secure access to these documents.
“Blockchain provides a trusted, independent, and cost-efficient mechanism for multiparty transactional records management,” writes Cecil (CJ) John for Medium. “Blockchain is an essential technology for records management professionals to understand because it has broad implications for securing and authenticating intellectual property at lower cost and higher efficiency.”
Blockchain technology is also being used to facilitate the tracking and management of contract performance. Traditional methods of tracking and managing contract performance can be time-consuming and error-prone, but blockchain technology has the potential to make the process faster, cheaper, and more efficient. By using a decentralized database to store information about contract performance, blockchain technology can enable faster, more accurate, and more secure contract management.
In addition to these benefits, blockchain technology can also help to improve the transparency and accountability of contract lifecycle management. By providing a tamper-proof record of all contract-related activities, blockchain technology can help to ensure that all parties are held accountable for their actions. This can be especially important in complex, multi-party contracts, where it can be difficult to track and manage all of the different activities and obligations.
“The technology generates a systematic, untampered audit trail of the history of any action taking place in a document, which can be viewed in a history tree, providing a more superior history and audit trail than anything else that currently exists,” explains Accenture. “The digitization of paper-based contracts onto the blockchain holds the potential to revolutionize the way contracts are prepared, transacted, amended, stored and complied with.”
ZorroSign is proud to bring both the private, permissioned Hyperledger Fabric blockchain and the public, permissionless Provenance Blockchain to CLM! Our 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.
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.
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 Signatures
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.
Moreadvanced 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!
