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Z-Forensics Delivers Unmatched Document Security and Provenance

Authors
  • Name
    Michael Jones

ZorroSign is proud to stand alone in a crowded field of digital signature solutions. Only ZorroSign’s document management platform was built from the ground up on Hyperledger Fabric—the worlds most trusted blockchain technology. This private, permissioned blockchain architecture provides ZorroSign users with the highest levels of data privacy and security available for digital signatures.

Further, we have created and patented Z-Forensics: A 4n6 (“forensics”) token to uniquely verify users and authenticate the immutability of both digital and paper documents. Let us explain this innovative new method for document security…

A HISTORICAL NEED TO PROTECT DOCUMENTS

Throughout history, there have been various techniques to authenticate documents. In the pre-industrial age, it was common in Europe for someone to sign a document in ink and to then press a wax seal on the document to indicate the authenticity of that document. It was always possible, of course, that someone could tamper with the document and forge signatures, information, or the wax seal itself.

In the modern age, the United States has notary publics who can witness a person signing a document and endeavor to authenticate the signer’s identity by inspecting a driver’s license, passport, or other form of identification for that person. Again, the risk remains that it is possible to forge such identity materials, or alter the actual documents or signatures after signing.

More recently, with the popularity of electronic or digital documents, the digitization of business processes is taking place. In other words, from the creation of documents, to the signing of documents, to the storage and subsequent retrieval of documents, one or more steps may be conducted digitally. For example, a document may be created on a computer and subsequently printed, signed with wet ink or electronically, then faxed, delivered via courier, or scanned into the computer and finally shared electronically via email or by using other file transfer mechanisms. Despite the technology advances, such documents can still be tampered with and signatures can be forged within this process as well.

Today, electronically signed or mixed-signed documents are shared with parties who are all part of a specific workflow. Because electronic or digital documents can be readily altered, a technical problem exists whereby the digital version of an electronically signed document can be shared with anyone, but the recipients of the “digitally modified” document cannot be certain of—or otherwise prove—the validation of the user and authenticity of the document, its content, and the signatures on it. The signatures applied to these documents are only images captured on electronic devices, signature pads, mouse pads, or other capturing devices and not an equivalent of a wet signature when signed with a pen.

THE PATENTED Z-FORENSICS TOKEN

Facing this historical need, ZorroSign has developed a 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).

We have patented this technology solution which we call the Z-Forensics token.

This revolutionary security system allows a validated user to create an electronic document, then allow one or more other users to complete and sign that document in a particular sequence—”the workflow”—all the while capturing the chain of custody and an audit trail of the changes made to the document by the parties in the workflow, such as recording key authentication, security and validation information when an action took place. For example:

  • ZorroSign’s platform can authenticate system users with biometrics (leveraging the multi-factor authentication of hardware devices such as iris scans, fingerprints, or face-recognition technology), knowledge-based authentication (KBAs) from third-party providers such as LexisNexis®, or passwords.
  • Users create or import a document comprising of fields to be completed by one or more users and any attachment required to be part of the workflow.  All users—those who can act on the document or those who have view-only access—are considered to be “in the workflow.”
  • Users in the workflow (except view-only users) can edit, add, or enter values or signatures in those fields.  The sequence is pre-defined for execution—whether that is sign, date, initial, check box, or fill out fields in various forms.  Users can upload supporting attachments as necessary.
  • When the document is complete—i.e., all users have completed their acts on the document and attachments—the ZorroSign platform adds an encrypted visualization element (the Z-Forensics token) to the document that uniquely identifies and secures the document.
  • Thereafter, a copy of the original document, all attachments, authentication, security and validation information, and all other relevant information about the document and users will be available to view in the chain of custody and audit trail by the authorized users by scanning the token visualization element within the platform (web or mobile app).
  • Of critical importance, users may also share a completed document with individuals external to workflow (for example, a commissions, judge, or audit panel) to verify the immutability and authenticity of the signed documents.

WHY YOUR ORGANIZATION NEEDS Z-FORENSICS

Unlike any other digital signature solution, ZorroSign seals all 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.

Only the Z-Forensics token:

  • Allows ZorroSign customers to manage permissions as to who gets to see what level of information about the transaction and the contract
  • Stores the ZorroSign security encryption certificates, which—unlike other digital security certificates—never expire
  • Can verify, validate and authenticate both digital and printed (paper) version of electronically signed contracts

To learn more about blockchain security, digital signatures, and how ZorroSign can help you Block it Down, contact us today!

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