Electronic signatures: they're legal, now what?

In the USA, electronic signatures recently became as legally binding as pri nted signatures. But the legislation that made electronic signatures legal did nothing to specify how they should be implemented, or what precautions must be taken to ensure the security and validity of the signature process, This paper first reviews the status of electronic signatures in the USA, a nd compares it to work done by the United Nations. Next, the technology tha t can be used to implement electronic signatures is summarized. The paper c oncludes with a discussion of problems and open issues surrounding the use of electronic signatures.