Author: Michael Jones

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!

We are proud to finish 2022 strong by sharing our completely redesigned user experience for ZorroSign’s data security platform built on blockchain!

On the back-end, we’ve updated to an elaborate microservices and containers architecture—allowing our platform to scale 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 user interface—delivering what we believe to be the best user experience for digital signatures!

For a quick introduction to our new look, new features, and new benefits, watch this short overview from our U.S. operations team:

And for an expanding overview of key functionality, visit our YouTube channel to watch helpful videos on creating an account, creating E-Sign documents, using platform tools, digitally signing documents, and so much more!

We are thrilled to share our updated platform with you . . .

• If you are an existing ZorroSign user, login and see what’s new!
• And if you’ve never tried ZorroSign before, sign up for a 14-day Free Trial today—no credit card needed to start!

Remember: When your data privacy and security are on the line, Block It Down!

Every November 30th, the United States observes National Computer Security Day. This year, we’d like to share some details on the history of this security awareness, how ZorroSign’s data security platform built on blockchain contributes to computer security, and how you can observe National Computer Security Day to improve your hardware and data security.

HISTORY OF NATIONAL COMPUTER SECURITY DAY

“It seems like every day we hear about breaches in cyber security. Keeping people and companies safe online is a top priority all over the world. It’s something that stays uppermost in our minds on National Computer Security Day. The story of National Computer Security Day is an interesting one.

“On November 2, 1988, Cornell University researchers uncovered an unknown virus lurking in their computer systems. Within four hours of discovery, the Morris worm virus invaded several other university systems as well as the ARPANET, an early version of today’s internet.

“Six days later,  two computer experts with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recommended assembling  a National Computer Infection Action Team (NCAT) to respond 24/7, 365 to these kinds of attacks. On November 14, the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), a research center connected with Carnegie Mellon University, set up the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT). 

“In 1988, the National Computer Security Day sprang out of the Washington, D.C., chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery’s (ACM) Special Interest Group on Security, Audit, and Control as a way to raise awareness about cybercrimes and viruses.  According to a 2004 Networld article, ‘November 30 was chosen for CSD so that attention on computer security would remain high during the holiday season – when people are typically more focused on the busy shopping season than thwarting security threats.’ By 2003, CERT and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security joined forces to create the National Cyber Awareness System. 

“Whether we’re talking about National Computer Security Day or  National Cybersecurity Awareness Month also in October, the goals are essentially the same. Each person must be proactive to protect their online security. Use this month to find out all you can about common-sense ways to stay safe in cyberspace.”

HOW ZORROSIGN’S PLATFORM SUPPORTS COMPUTER SECURITY

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

By using distributed ledger technologies—originally built on Hyperledger Fabric and 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—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 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 security through our patented fraud detection technology we call the Z-Forensics token. This unique digital solution that 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.

HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL COMPUTER SECURITY DAY

• “Create a strong password
  In computer security, length matters. Passwords that are six characters are easier to hack, especially if they’re only made up of lowercase letters. To beef up your password, weave a nine-character combination of uppercase letters, symbols and numbers. Lastly, avoid using the same password for every account.

• “Update spyware and malware protection software
  First, check to see if your operating system is up-to-date. If that’s set, update your protection software. Run a scan and don’t forget to invite your other devices to the party. Phones and tablets are also major security risks, so be diligent.

• “Encrypt and backup your data
  Encrypt your data to create the brainiest of all brainteasers. But keep this in mind: even the best brain teaser can be cracked. That’s why it’s still important to back up your info on either the cloud or an external hard drive. (Just make sure that everything stays encrypted.)”

• Use ZorroSign’s data security platform built on blockchain
  Tap the cybersecurity of blockchain with ZorroSign’s platform uniting digital signatures (Z-Sign), automated compliance (Z-Flow), intelligent forms (Z-Fill), document storage (Z-Vault), patented fraud prevention (Z-Forensics), user authentication and document verification (Z-Verify), identity-as-a-service (IDaaS), and so much more. Plus elevate computer security with our passwordless login capabilities, and patented Z-Forensics token for fraud detection.  When the risk is personal and everything is on the line, Block It Down!

Contact us to learn more or 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/

With more and more businesses, governments, and individuals employing blockchain technology for commerce and operations, ZorroSign stands as key addition to your technology stack. 

Whether you’re decentralizing data with web3, securing cloud or software-as-a-service (SaaS) architectures, committing to digital transformation, or elevating sustainability, our multi-chain blockchain solution is the perfect addition to your IT offerings—learn how!

If You’re Decentralizing with Web3

The idea of escaping a centralized authority managing protocols, transactions, and access was built into the World Wide Web from its earliest days. 

• Web 1.0 was the initial iteration of the World Wide Web in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.  “Web 1.0 is the term used for the earliest version of the Internet as it emerged from its origins with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA),” writes Kuntal Chakraborty for Techopedia. “Experts refer to it as the ‘read-only’ web—a web that was not interactive in any significant sense.”
• From those early static web pages, a platform model of computing soon evolved that would become Web 2.0 or the ‘social web.’  Here, interaction with growing web applications and platforms drove e-commerce and the expansion of the Internet, allowing large providers to aggregate and control much of the shared data.  This is the Internet we know today.

• The dream of Web 3.0, however, 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 a recent article in The Economist, “combines the decentralized, community-governed ethos of web1 with the advanced, modern functionality of web2.”

“The rise of technologies such as distributed ledgers and storage on blockchain will allow for data decentralization and create a transparent and secure environment, overtaking Web 2.0’s centralization, surveillance and exploitative advertising,” writes Charles Silver in a recent Forbes article.  “Indeed, one of the most significant implications of decentralization and blockchain technology is in the area of data ownership and compensation… Web 3.0 will bring us a fairer internet by enabling the individual to be a sovereign.”

Blockchains are distributed ledger technology (DLT) leveraging cryptography—user authentication, data encryption and verification—to secure information records (blocks) distributed across peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. DLTs replicate, share, and synchronize digital data geographically spread across multiple sites (nodes), with no central data storage or administrator. They can run publicly (open) or privately (permissioned).

Perhaps most importantly, blockchains can support smart contracts—where terms, conditions, and permissions written into the digital code that require an exact sequence of events to take place to trigger the agreement of the terms mentioned in the blockchain contract. This hardwiring of contract details greatly increases speed (via automation), trust (where accuracy and backup are built into the transaction), and autonomy (as no third parties are required to mediate or control the exchange) of transactions.

As such, centralized solutions such as blockchains have immense potential to transform business contracts, real estate deals, digital rights, supply chain security and provenance, estate planning, and many other legal transactions.

And here is where ZorroSign shines! 

We have built our digital platform from the ground up using blockchain technology.  Launched with Hyperledger Fabric, our multi-chain platform now supports the public Provenance Blockchain as well, giving our users an entirely new world of decentralized digital transactions.

Our web3 technology platform also provides identity-as-a-service (IDaaS) capabilities through a patented Z-Forensics token plus fraud prevention, user authentication, and document verification.  Web3 features such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) allow us to automate form completion for digital documents, and can improve regulatory compliance across global standards for legally enforceable digital signatures.

Paired with Provenance Blockchain—which reduces the need for third-party intermediation, drastically reducing costs and freeing up capital in financial transactions—ZorroSign’s platform promotes greater transparency and liquidity for organizations, and allows for new kinds of financial engineering and business opportunities.

If You’re Securing SaaS or Cloud Solutions

More than 90% of all cyber attacks begin with phishing but blockchain architecture, originally built for zero-trust environments, can deliver a compelling alternative to centralized databases and a strong protection against cyber attacks. How?

• In phishing attacks that seek to steal data, blockchain presents a data architecture where no single endpoint node controls the data set. Even if an individual endpoint is hacked through phishing or other social engineering, the data set is distributed across many nodes. This decentralization of data and access means even successful phishing attacks that penetrate a blockchain endpoint only gain a small piece of system access.
• In cyber attacks that seek to inject malware such as ransomware, the distributed nature of blockchain defeats those seeking to breach a system then holistically ransom the data files stored therein. Again, a single endpoint node might be breached, 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.

• Recovery is quicker with blockchain, too. With blockchain, each endpoint node has a unique encryption key to access and write to the distributed ledger. If any one of those endpoints is successfully hacked (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 speedy 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.

ZorroSign technology leverages the biometric capabilities of hardware endpoints to verify user identities—for example, PC and mobile device fingerprint scans, iris scans, and face recognition to ensure users are who they claim to be.

ZorroSign is proud to be the first to adopt password-less login amongst our digital signature competitors.

And ZorroSign multi-factor authentication (MFA) provides maximum security, as before a user can sign a document, our platform can validate multiple dimensions of authentication based upon your transaction security needs: What you know (i.e., your ZorroSign login password ), what you have (e.g., your laptop or mobile device), who you are (e.g., biometrics such as fingerprints or eye iris on the device securing who can access it), etc.

ZorroSign has further elevated our security through our patented fraud detection technology we call the Z-Forensics token, our unique digital solution that 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); and, 
• Prove the authenticity of the printed copy or digital version of an electronically signed document, its content, attachments, and the signatures on it (authenticity).

Unlike any other digital signature solution, ZorroSign seals all your documents with our Z-Forensics token—capturing the complete audit trail and accompanying attachments and signature workflow. The token is encrypted and contains all the details about the transaction: Time stamps, user authentication, documents and attachments.

And like your SaaS solutions, ZorroSign’s SaaS model can be deployed in various cloud configurations, making it seamless to integrate into your existing platform as 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 Committed to Digital Transformation

For years, organizations have steadily moved more and more of their operations to digital data and delivery. Such advances save time and effort, automate key processes, and drive greater efficiency and effectiveness. With digital transformation, customers or constituents can receive services faster and gain self-service options, and employees get more time to work on the most important projects.

“Digital transformation is no longer an option, but an imperative,” notes the Harvard Business Review. “Recent research from Accenture has found that in the three years prior to 2018, firms who led their industry in enterprise technology adoption grew two times faster than laggards. Today, they are growing five times faster. The risk is no longer merely getting left behind, but being eliminated altogether.”

For organizations leveraging digital data, apps and SaaS, IoT, or any of the multitude of other digital solutions, adding ZorroSign can be an important consideration.

To transact business, commerce, government, or individual trade in such a digital ecosystem also requires legally enforceable digital signatures to prove agreement and intent. Our multi-chain blockchain platform delivers such digital signatures and ensures the digital chain-of-custody necessary to successfully defend digital signatures in a court of law.

And by digitizing paper-based workflows, ZorroSign’s digital signature and document management platform can decrease costs, reduce errors, and increase productivity across digital operations . . . a massive benefit for any organization committed to digital transformation!

If You’re Focused on Sustainable Business

Digital operations also eliminate paper so “going green” with paperless operations may readily align to your IT organization’s corporate social responsibility goals or vision. 

At ZorroSign, we help IT organizations deliver paperless operations. We all understand that switching from doing business using paper to digital records is not only a smart business decision, but it is also good for the environment. Each time you use ZorroSign to digitally transact agreements, contracts, and other documents—instead of printing, faxing, scanning, shipping documents overnight to collect signatures—you save trees and water, plus reduce carbon emissions.

Further, ZorroSign is dedicated to advancing sustainability while advancing new technologies, promoting a paperless life and leading sustainability programs that support environmental conservation. The company’s Save-a-Tree, Plant-a-Tree program, for example, plants a tree on behalf of customers every time they save 8,000 pages of copy paper. As one tree produces roughly 8,000 pages of copy paper, this amounts to a double incentive: Reducing the destruction of trees via reduced paper use, plus increasing the number of trees as a reward for reducing paper use.

For all these reasons and more, if you are using blockchain technologies—or planning to in 2023—consider ZorroSign as a strong complement to your technology stack!  You can start with a free 14-day trial to see what we can deliver or contact us to learn more!

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/

See our short, introductory video on ZorroSign’s new user experience on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujwQXKuqWnM

We use blockchain technology for superior privacy, security, and compliance. Governments, businesses, and individuals around the world trust ZorroSign’s web3 solutions for their digital signatures, digital transactions, and digital document management.

Contact us with any questions or start your FREE TRIAL today . . .

ZorroSign CEO and co-founder, Shamsh Hadi, this week opened a new office for the Arizona team at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University‘s downtown Phoenix campus.

“We are thrilled to share offices with the ethical, visionary leaders tackling the world’s greatest challenges,” said Hadi, “ZorroSign has always been a global company, and now aligning with the entrepreneurs shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution brings fresh perspectives and new opportunities to our staff, partners and customers.”

Thunderbird School of Global Management is a unit of the Arizona State University. For more than 75 years, Thunderbird has been the vanguard of global management and leadership education, creating inclusive and sustainable prosperity worldwide by educating global leaders capable of tackling the world’s greatest challenges. Thunderbird’s Master of Global Management was ranked No. 1 in the world for 2019 by the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education. ASU is ranked No. 1 “Most Innovative School” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for eight years in succession.

“The people, the building, the campus, and the vibe here are truly electric,” added Hadi. “We look forward to tapping into that energy as we build new relationships and expand ZorroSign’s technology, innovation and sustainability efforts.”

For more information, read our September 22, 2022, press release here.

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/.

The user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) of technologies, especially web-based solutions and apps, are critical to such technologies’ market success. “Taking advantage of the benefits of great UI/UX design is more vital than most people realize,” explains Eliza Brooks in a JumpStory article on design. “Everyone wants to experience and have the best technology, while at the same time not wasting any precious time.”

“If users cannot use your product and access all of its features, your prospects of success are greatly reduced,” notes Digital Solutions. “This usability factor is where the realms of User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) enter the picture. A great User Interface will draw people to your app right away, while a great User Experience will leave a lasting impression on your users.”

At ZorroSign, we have taken this truth to heart and are proud to unveil our entirely redesigned UI/UX for the next generation of our multi-chain blockchain platform for digital signatures!

UI v. UX

To begin, a quick definition of UI and UX may be helpful. “Generally speaking, UX is the one that ensures your digital platform works smoothly—including pleasant and accessible designs, a clear and concise user journey, simple navigation processes, responsiveness, etc.,” explains a recent Wire Delta article. “On the other hand, User Interface or UI Design is for just that—the interface. In other words, UI takes care of typography, layouts, colors, graphic design, and visual design. So, while it is helping customers interact with different digital products and services, it does not consider the user journey.”

In other words, the UX is the sum of the whole—the complete experience a user has of using a specific UI, engaging its features and functionality, and generating whatever outcomes the technology produces—functionality, information, calculation, etc.

While the UI is the environment of the screen or app, the physical engagement and interaction via clicks, buttons, form entry, and all other inputs and outputs.

“User interface elements usually fall into one of the following four categories,” write Maria de la Rivva for Career Foundry. “Input Controls, Navigation Components, Informational Components, Containers. Input controls allow users to input information into the system. If you need your users to tell you what country they are in, for example, you’ll use an input control to let them do so. Navigational components help users move around a product or website. Common navigational components include tab bars on an iOS device and a hamburger menu on an Android. Informational components share information with users. Containers hold related content together.”

So UX is the total experience of using a technology, while UI is the tactical, direct engagement of the technologies interface.

Why Your UI/UX Must Continuously Evolve

“User Interface (UI) updates present an exciting opportunity for design teams to reinvigorate stale experiences, address issues, and explore future iterations,” writes Ayana Campbell Smith for Envy Labs. “It’s never a question of if interface updates will be necessary, but instead, when.”

For an innovative technology company, resting on the laurels of a successful product is simply not good enough. Innovators must continuously revisit, refine, and improve their solutions to ensure their great technologies are also great experiences for their customers, clients, users, and prospects.

A well-designed user interface delivers five key user experiences according to GeeksforGeeks: 

• Simplicity—which is to say, the minimum clicks or keystrokes to achieve a task
• Consistency—across typeface, style, size, and components to deliver information with minimal chaos and ambiguity
• Intuitiveness—input and navigation that is easy to learn, with concise and cogent icons and labels
• Prevention—readily prevent users from performing inaccurate/inappropriate actions on the site by steering them always to the correct functions
• Forgiveness—a quick way back/out if users find themselves in functions or content they did not mean to engage

Perhaps equally important, users’ expectations for simplicity, consistency, intuitiveness, prevention, and forgiveness evolve over time—especially as new technologies come to market and reshape their expectations. Recall for example the leap in UI expectations from desktop computers (keyboard and mouse), to our expectations on mobile phones or tablets (touchscreen or voice command)! Evolving technologies produce evolving user expectations and needs for UI/UX.

The Value of Great UI/UX

“A strong and valuable user experience offers a business a strong competitive advantage in attracting and retaining their customers,” continues Brooks. She calls out five critical benefits to a strong user experience, including:

• Improving customer acquisition—”The more aesthetically pleasing a brand’s site design is, and the more intuitive the features are, the easier it is for them to build trust and thus increase the chances of the brand attracting users and quite possibly converting them into customers”
• Helping with customer retention—delivering an intuitive, beautiful experience brings people back to that experience!
• Optimizing development time and costs—by focusing on the customer experience, development teams can more “easily pinpoint and address usability issues” and “anticipate the needs of users before releasing the solution to a wider audience”
• Increasing productivity—efficient UI/UX design streamlines tasks, work, and outcomes
• Generating more user engagement—for example, employing UI design that is instructive, clearly conveying the help/benefits of engaging a specific page or functionality

“Investing in an effective Ul/UX design increases customer satisfaction, resulting in satisfied customers,” continues Digital Solutions. “People like to work for companies that make them happy. Ultimately, this will improve your firm’s credibility as a client and fosters positive associations with your company and brand. As a result, the worth of your company and your brand name will shoot up and increase.”

At ZorroSign, we agree completely!

“Digital products with a good user interface give you a competitive edge in a constantly growing world where companies are starting to realize the importance of good user experience,” says Tiffany Eaton for UX Collective. We realize this truth and are excited to share the new UI/UX we bring to market.

Contact us to learn more about ZorroSign’s completely redesigned UI/UX for 2022 . . . or start your free trial to put our next generation user interface to the test!

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!

The Arizona Technology Council and Phoenix Business RadioX are proud to host monthly podcasts on technology events, forecasts, issues, and trends. For the July 27th podcast, hosts Karen Nowicki and Steven Zylstra invited experts from DocSolid, OnStream Software, and ZorroSign to discuss how digital transformation can reimagine customer interactions.

Steve Irons of DocSolid, Tiffany Ma of OneStream Software, and Kristen Harder of ZorroSign spoke on the importance of digital transformation for businesses, issues and obstacles businesses often encounter when moving to digital, how DocSolid, OneStream, and ZorroSign help companies transition from paper-based operations to digital, business benefits beyond faster digital processes, future trends, and predictions for the next ten years of digital transformation.

You can find and listen to the AZ TechCast from July 27 at https://businessradiox.com/podcast/phoenixbusinessradio/digital-transformation-of-operational-workflows-e28/

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!

We are proud of our multi-chain blockchain platform at ZorroSign—delivering digital signatures paired with identity-as-a-service (IDaaS) technologies, a patented fraud prevention solution, AI/ML-driven form completion, and customizable workflows to ensure the highest privacy, security, and compliance for your digital transactions!

But while we live-and-breathe digital signatures, you might still be learning how digital signatures work and what benefits they might bring to your organization.  We can help! 

Below find some common questions we hear about digital signatures and short answers to get you started . . .

1. 1. Are digital signatures legally accepted/enforceable like paper-based signatures?

Yes!  Back in 2000, the U.S. passed the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce (ESIGN) Act along with the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) granting electronic signatures the full strength and legality of paper-based “wet” signatures.  As such, digital signatures are valid in all 50 U.S. states, plus most countries around the world.

Beyond the United States, Australia’s Electronic Transactions Act, Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), China’s 2004 Electronic Signature Law, the European Union’s Directive 199/93/EC, India’s Information Technology (IT) Act 2000, Japan’s Law Concerning Electronic Signatures and Certification Services, New Zealand’s Electronic Transactions Act, the UAE’s Federal Law No. 1 of 2006 regarding Electronic Transactions and E-Commerce, the United Kingdom’s Electronic Communications Act and subsequent Electronic Signatures Regulation 2002, all regulate and support the legal enforceability of digital signatures around the world.

1. 2. Why do companies, governments, or other organizations typically switch from paper-based to digital signatures?

Public and private organizations move to digital signatures for many different reasons, for example:

• Some switch to save the costs of paper-based document printing, copying, couriering, and storage
• Some switch to speed transaction workflows, document signing ceremonies, and execution of legal agreements
• Some seek to improve regulatory/quality compliance with the digital management of transaction and personal information
• Some want to improve the privacy and security of documents and transactions through digital encryption and security protocols
• Some aspire to improve customer/constituent experiences with digital and mobile operations
• Some are looking for the competitive advantage digital operations bring with all these benefits

Why are you considering the move to digital signatures?

1. 3. With digital signatures, how do we know the person signing is really who they say/are supposed to be?

While some digital signature platforms grant access via simple username and password, the industry standard is two-factor authentication and rapidly evolving to MFA with password-less logins.

With ZorroSign, we’ve integrated identity-as-a-service (IDaaS) technologies to verify users, for example:

• ZorroSign technology leverages the biometric capabilities of hardware endpoints to verify user identities.
• ZorroSign is the first to adopt password-less login amongst our digital signature competitors.
• ZorroSign MFA provides maximum security, as before a user can sign a document, our platform can validate multiple dimensions of authentication based on the transaction security needs, such as:
  • What you know (i.e., your ZorroSign login password),
  • What you have (e.g., your laptop or mobile device),
  • Who you are (e.g., biometrics such as fingerprints or eye iris on the device securing who can access it), etc.
  • Additionally, ZorroSign users can optionally use our dynamic knowledge-based authentication (KBA) feature—provided by LexisNexis—which requires the knowledge of confidential information of the individual to prove that the person providing identity information is the actual person.

These technologies secure the endpoints of our private, permissioned Hyperledger Fabric blockchain architecture where only approved nodes (endpoints) are allowed to access our distributed ledger system.

1. 4. How Does ZorroSign Use Blockchain and Web3 Technologies for Digital Signatures?

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

Since 2000, several technologies have come to market to deliver digital signatures, but when a distributed ledger technology—or DLT, such as blockchain—is used for digital signatures, signers gain the unique advantages of:

• Privacy — with a private blockchain, only participants to the transaction can see details of the transaction, and those participants share equal access to such details
• Immutability — all records and changes are tracked and cannot be changed, providing important chain-of-custody audit capabilities for courts
• Security — all records are individually encrypted and distributed for better protection from phishing and ransomware attacks

ZorroSign was built from the ground up on Hyperledger Fabric to deliver digital signatures with the superior privacy and security of blockchain.

And we recently announced a partnership with Provence Blockchain to add their DLT to our architecture as well, effectively becoming a multi-chain blockchain platform.

Assuming contracts are critical to your business or organization, then a secure, reliable solution for contract lifecycle management (CLM) is imperative and blockchain supports CLM in amazing ways.

Strong CLM solutions must include visibility (a dashboard or overview of where individual contracts are in the life cycle), integration with communications and storage systems, automation (as few contracts start from scratch—most are iterations of previously created agreements), and of course change tracking to readily see how contracts changed during negotiations and what final version was executed by all parties.

With our blockchain architecture, ZorroSign’s platform unites and uniquely delivers:

• Digital signatures via Z-Sign to quickly execute legally binding contracts
• Patented Z-Forensics token to prevent fraud and tampering
• Z-Flow workflow automation to quickly build templates and approval chains
• Z-Fill leveraging ZorroSign’s artificially intelligent, machine-learning engine
• Z-Verify to know exactly who signed what and when, with full validation of every document’s authenticity and immutability
• Z-Vault to securely store contract and transaction records immutably on blockchain

ZorroSign’s platform can be accessed via PCs and mobile devices, allowing your legal department, operations and procurement teams, and sales teams to efficiently generate, negotiate, communicate, and sign agreements. And with our Z-Vault, contracts reside on an immutable document management system (DMS) where they can be saved, searched for, and managed easily from a single, intuitive user interface.

1. 5. How Do Digital Signatures Meet International Privacy and Security Compliance?

At ZorroSign, 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)

We invite you to request a copy of our ZorroSign Security Brief for details on our private blockchain architecture, document storage and protection, and platform security measures.

1. 6. How much does it cost to try digital signature software and learn if it’s right for me?

ZorroSign offers a free 14-day trial license to test out our features, securely sign digital documents, build templates and approval workflows, and store your transaction data on blockchain. 

No credit card required, visit our Free Trial page to get started!

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!

In today’s global economy, there are lots of bad actors and threats to your digital information. Whether you work for a government agency, a business, an IT department, a law firm, a financial service provider, or just about any other organization generating and storing digital data, your information—and your customers’ or constituents’ information—must be protected.

“You need a trusted friend,” says Kevin Youngblood from Youngblood Works. “ZorroSign is built on blockchain and is the most secure platform available.”  See Kevin’s endorsement video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcM3KoA_qI4

ZorroSign’s U.S. headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona brings blockchain technology to U.S. companies, organizations, and individuals signing digital documents and executing transactions digitally.

“If you’re looking for a secure way to transact with third parties or multi-parties,” says Robert Vera from GCU‘s Canyon Ventures Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, “ZorroSign is that technology that you need to have confidence that your transactions are secure in today’s environment.”

See Robert’s endorsement video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vcTlYnRfiY

If you’re ready to try ZorroSign’s multi-chain blockchain platform for yourself—for superior privacy and security for all your digital signatures and transactions—start a Free Trial today!

Whether you work in education, finance, government, healthcare, IT, legal, real estate, or other industries, you often need repetitive but complex forms completed and submitted.

It might be your team filling out the information—or clients, constituents, customers, parents, parties, patients, partners, or students—but getting through the forms accurately and completely is critical to performing a key operation.  And often capturing and managing the information on those forms falls under privacy and/or security compliance regulations as well!

As more and more information capture forms move to digital formats, ZorroSign can help!

The Power of AI

We realized early in our platform development that many repetitive processes can be streamlined with the help of machine learning. A subset of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning is an application of AI that allows digital systems to learn and improve processes through repetition without being explicitly programmed. 

Machine learning “can be loosely interpreted to mean empowering computer systems with the ability to ‘learn,’” explains Towards Data Science.  “The intention of ML is to enable machines to learn by themselves using the provided data and make accurate predictions.”

Within ZorroSign’s multi-chain blockchain platform, we’ve nested a machine learning engine that enables our platform users to digitize documentation, eliminate the paperchase and improve efficiency, while speeding up the process of filling out forms for employees and customers alike—all with increased accuracy.

We call this intelligent form-fill feature, Z-Fill.

Bringing Intelligent Forms to Your Organization

No matter your industry, if you are capturing detailed and privileged/private/secure information on multiple forms, ZorroSign’s intelligent form-fill can speed your process and improve compliance with international privacy and security standards.

Our Z-Fill feature brings immediate benefits to any organization, including:

• Helping users fill forms with ease by anticipating entries with AI and machine learning
• Speeding document uploads and conversions in a semi-automated process
• Allowing signees to upload forms, which are converted to digital with autofill options via profile information
• Reducing errors by matching profile information to a form-fill option
• Anticipating entries with use as our machine-learning engine learns your processes over time
• Saving time with auto-fill learning at every point in a document’s journey!

If you’re ready to try ZorroSign’s multi-chain blockchain platform for yourself—for digital signatures, workflows, or form-fill—start a Free Trial for 14 days.  No credit card required, just an email address!

Our CEO and co-founder, Shamsh Hadi, was recently interviewed by two technology news outlets—Tech Channel News and TahawulTech.com.

Tech Channel News helps C-level executives in India and Gulf identify technologies and strategies to empower and streamline business processes. Their portal at techchannel.news informs leaders of what’s new in tech and why it matters.

TahawulTech.com, published by CPI Media Group, is the definitive platform in the Middle East for IT content. Covering stories across enterprise technology, cybersecurity and the region’s IT channel industry, TahawulTech.com brings business leaders and technology decision makers together to share their stories of transformation.

Here are short summaries of those interviews and links to read the original pieces!

ZorroSign Making Waves in Digital Signature Space Using Blockchain Technology

In April 2022, Tech Channel News’ Naushad K. Cherrayil interviewed Mr. Hadi on how ZorroSign safeguards the privacy and security of digital documents, and provides an immutable chain of custody for digital transactions, for governments and organizations in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries.

The article notes that there are “huge players in the digital signature space, but none of them have figured out how to cost-effectively map their legacy software in technologies and evolve it into Web 3.0 and blockchain solutions today.”

“We have solved all these problems,” said Hadi. “Successfully bringing blockchain to digital signatures—unlike other competitors, big and small, who simply tried to add blockchain onto their legacy software.”

The article explores ZorroSign’s roots in Dubai with development in Sri Lanka, moving the company’s global headquarters to Phoenix, and standing out from the crowd in a competitive eSignature space.

“Our platform was invented to move documentation, digital transactions from a relationship built on trust to a relationship built on truth, providing customers the ability to positively impact the environment with sustainable practices and securely transform their paper-based workloads to digital in a bid to remove errors and increase productivity,” Hadi added.

Tech Channel News uncovers how ZorroSign leverages blockchain’s zero-trust environment to support governments in the Gulf who are looking specifically for blockchain solutions, noting “two countries that are pushing forward are the UAE and Saudi Arabia.”

You can read Mr. Cherrayil’s full piece in Tech Channel News at https://www.techchannel.news/18/04/2022/zorrosign-making-waves-in-digital-signature-space-using-blockchain-technology/

Tackling Identity Theft

In May 2022, TahawulTech.com’s Anita Joseph interviewed Mr. Hadi on how ZorroSign not only provides digital signatures built on a blockchain architecture, but also integrates identity-as-a-service (IDaaS), biometrics, KBAs, and patented Z-Forensics token to prevent fraud and address identity theft risks.

Ms. Joseph also starts with ZorroSign’s founding in Dubai and how HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Digital City Vision for Smart Dubai has been a guiding principle for ZorroSign—including his goal of a paperless life in the UAE by 2030.

The article then talks of identity theft and how ZorroSign technologies confront the issue: “Not only does our web3 platform leverage the cryptographic security capabilities of blockchain,” said Hadi. “But it also integrates Identity-as-a-Service technologies into our solution set to combat fraud, identity theft, and cyber-attacks.”

Security trends, cybercrime, and various cyber-attacks are discussed, as well as how distributed ledger technologies such as blockchain can help defend and/or recover from such attack vectors.  The article ends with ZorroSign’s plans for 2022 and early verticals benefitting from blockchain-based digital signatures.

You can read Ms. Joseph’s full piece in TahawulTech.com at https://www.tahawultech.com/industry/technology/interview-tackling-identity-theft/amp/

Learn more about how ZorroSign helps governments, companies, and individuals around the world with digital signatures and maintaining privacy and security with their digital transactions:  Contact us today or start your Free Trial.

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!

ZorroSign team members, Cassidy Alexander, Kristen Harder, and Michael Jones were pleased to attend the ninth annual Cybersecurity Summit in Scottsdale on May 12, 2022, hosted by the Arizona Technology Council, Arizona Commerce Authority, and Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance (ACTRA).

The educational event provided an opportunity for government and business leaders to learn about the threats, vulnerabilities and consequences related to data security and privacy matters via panel discussions, keynote speakers—Tim Roemer, Director Arizona Homeland Security/CISO State of Arizona, and John Davis (Major General, US Army, Retired), VP Public Sector at Palo Alto Networks—sponsors and other cybersecurity presentations.

Key Themes of the Summit

• The merger of cyber and physical worlds, requiring consolidated security approaches
• Zero-trust 2.0 for IT/OT security
• Sharing of security information, threats, and vigilance across the public and private sector
• Improving offensive cybersecurity capabilities to better understand new threat vectors
• Security automation and the need to elevate security against greater and greater threats with fewer and fewer cybersecurity resources
• The impact of the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022, as signed into law by President Biden in March 2022
• Protecting supply chains
• Building cybersecurity plans not just focused on prevention but also focused on quickly recovering from successful attacks

Blockchain Architecture For 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, while preventing fraud and ensuring regulatory compliance.

How does this blockchain architecture contribute to cybersecurity?

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

Z-Forensics Token

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

Unlike any other digital signature solution, ZorroSign seals all our clients’ documents with the Z-Forensics token—capturing the complete audit trail and accompanying attachments and signature workflow. The token is encrypted and contains all the details about the transaction: Time stamps, user authentication, documents and attachments.

To learn more about how ZorroSign helps companies and IT departments elevate data privacy and security, please contact us or start a Free Trial 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!

Since 2013, the security world recognizes the first Thursday of May as World Password Day—promoting better password habits such as changing passwords, moving to more complex passwords, and turning on multi-factor authentication (MFA) to improve digital security.

In advance of this year’s World Password Day, ZorroSign is proud to remind our users that ZorroSign’s platform not only accommodates complex passwords and MFA, but also supports “password-less” logins!

How?

First, ZorroSign leverages 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 password-less user authentication at the device-level for subsequent ZorroSign digital signatures and document management.

Further, our multi-chain blockchain platform can validate multiple dimensions of authentication based on the transaction security needs:

• What you know — your ZorroSign login password or knowledge-based authentication
• What you have — your PC or mobile device
• Who you are — biometrics such as finger prints, eye iris on the device securing who can access it

ZorroSign’s dynamic knowledge-based authentication (KBA) feature—provided by LexisNexis—requires the knowledge of private information of the individual to prove that the person providing their identity information is the actual person.

With ZorroSign’s user authentication options, it is almost impossible for an imposter to sign a document on the ZorroSign platform, ensuring:

• Legal Enforceability — Using digital signatures with real digital information
• Signature Attribution — Incorporating high-level security provisions and multifactor authentication (including biometrics) to ensure signatory attribution to a specific user

To learn more about our password-less login capabilities and how ZorroSign provides superior privacy and data security with our blockchain platform, contact us today or sign up for a Free 14-Day Trial to see for yourself!

Block it down!  Now, you can count on regulatory compliance and the immutability of your signed documents within your stored data and workflow records on ZorroSign’s blockchain.

Z-Vault enables ZorroSign platform users to store, structure, organize and search documents in folders and subfolders natively, with the peace of mind that comes from superior privacy and security.

Digital Signatures on Blockchain

Since 2000, several technologies have come to market to deliver digital signatures, but when a distributed ledger technology—or DLT, such as blockchain—is used for digital signatures, signers gain the unique advantages of:

• Privacy — with a private blockchain, only participants to the transaction can see details of the transaction, and those participants share equal access to such details
• Immutability — all records and changes are tracked and cannot be changed, providing important chain-of-custody audit capabilities for courts
• Security — all records are individually encrypted and distributed for better protection from phishing and ransomware attacks

ZorroSign was built from the ground up on Hyperledger Fabric to deliver digital signatures with the superior privacy and security of blockchain. And we recently announced a partnership with Provence Blockchain to add their DLT to our architecture as well, effectively becoming a multi-chain blockchain platform.

Z-Vault for Better Contract Lifecycle Management

Contract lifecycle management, or CLM, spans the entire process of generating contracts, the workflows of approving and negotiating changes to contracts, the signing (or executing) of the contracts, storing and archiving the executed contracts, plus tracking and audit trails to retrieve contracts and review their lifecycle of approvals, iterations, and signatures.

If contracts are critical to your business or organization, then a secure, reliable solution for managing the contract life cycle is imperative.

Key functionality to look for when assessing CLM solutions include visibility (a dashboard or overview of where individual contracts are in the life cycle), integration with communications and storage systems, automation (as few contracts start from scratch—most are iterations of previously created agreements), and of course change tracking to readily see how contracts changed during negotiations and what final version was executed by all parties.

ZorroSign’s platform unites and uniquely delivers:

• Digital signatures via Z-Sign to quickly execute legally binding contracts
• Patented Z-Forensics token to prevent fraud and tampering
• Z-Flow workflow automation to quickly build templates and approval chains
• Z-Fill leveraging ZorroSign’s artificially intelligent, machine-learning engine
• Z-Verify to know exactly who signed what and when, with full validation of every document’s authenticity and immutability
• Z-Vault to securely store contract and transaction records immutably on blockchain

ZorroSign’s platform can be accessed via PCs and mobile devices, allowing your legal department, operations and procurement teams, and sales teams to efficiently generate, negotiate, communicate, and sign agreements. And with our Z-Vault, contracts reside on an immutable DMS where they can be saved, searched for, and managed easily from a single, intuitive user interface.

Z-Vault Benefits

• Superior privacy and security to PKI-based solutions using a centralized database
• The latest privacy and security technologies, delivering powerful encryption safeguards
• Secure, yet intuitively navigable and easily accessible (for authorized users) platform
• Ability to share and review eSign and architectural drawings, adding your own comments
• Time savings with access to specific folders and documents in seconds, no loss of records

ZorroSign Privacy & Security Compliance

Our combination of security architecture and data privacy functionality ensure your compliance across many international standards for privacy and security, including:

• 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 Z-Vault and how ZorroSign can help you securely store contracts, data, and documents on blockchain, contact us today or start your 14-day Free Trial subscription!