Query about digital signatures

brightonman123

I was wondering how secure a signature is, when captured on a PDA / tablet - for example, signing for a delivery, or confirming a boiler inspection, etc..


what's to stop the person with device, or firm that supplied it, from using that signature to 'confirm' a separate made up contract, leaving you owing 000's?

paddyrg

Basically, ever so slightly better than nothing. The system relies on trust.

molerat

Nothing whatsoever, the same as when you put your signature on a piece of paper.

brightonman123

molerat wrote: »

Nothing whatsoever, the same as when you put your signature on a piece of paper.

My thinking is, paper sigs could be copied, but that would be easier to identify.. an image could be inserted anywhere!

StuC75

Simple - don't do your normal signature,I often just put initials, or spell name out.. no body has ever complained at that either, and generally they would be checking that signature at that point anyway...

brightonman123 wrote: »

My thinking is, paper sigs could be copied, but that would be easier to identify.. an image could be inserted anywhere!

brightonman123

good idea. may date it, too..

Ectophile

Given the completely illegible scrawl that results when I attempt to sign the slippery surface of a tablet that's balanced on my knee, I don't think there's any risk at all.

The end result never bears any resemblance to my normal signature.

forgotmyname

It may appear poorly on the screen, But quite often when its actuall shown on a decent screen the signature is much clearer.

When you sign at the bottom of a sheet what stops them stapling another 27 pages of charges onto it?

The issue is a company will only be able to try it so many times before the news spreads.

Bowling_4_Gold

I just initial- can't be bothered with my full signature.

On a side note, I didn't sign my bank card for several years either!

Got caught out by a train guard though- he looked at the back of my card (still not quite sure why) and made me sign it on the spot. Ended my little game to see if I could go the whole validity period of the card without anyone looking at my signature

enfield_freddy

its a joke isn't it , when you are in a shop and they offer cashback with a sale , you press ok for the goods , ok for the cashback , they print a piece of till troll for you to sign


never ever seen anyone check that "mickey mouse" on the receipt , matches the sig on the back of my card

marliepanda

enfield_freddy wrote: »

its a joke isn't it , when you are in a shop and they offer cashback with a sale , you press ok for the goods , ok for the cashback , they print a piece of till troll for you to sign


never ever seen anyone check that "mickey mouse" on the receipt , matches the sig on the back of my card

You don't sign the receipt to compare to your card, you sign it so you don't come back the next day to say you never received any cash back. You sign to say you got it, that's all