Biometric Handwritten Signatures – Authentication with the Stroke of a Pen

What would you do if you were requested to provide a scan of your iris or your fingerprint for authentication, when performing a routine business transaction? Most people would avoid providing this kind of data due to its intrusive nature. A more acceptable alternative is the dynamic handwritten signature, which is a reliable indicator of an individual’s identity with a high level of security and authenticity but without the aversive feeling associated with other biometric recognition methods that raise privacy concerns.

Signing a document with wet ink handwritten signature used to be the most common method of authorization for many years. A more advanced use of this traditional method is via electronic signature solutions that were upgraded by the biometric technology like the one offered in the SIGNificant Suite which enables a dynamic handwritten verification. This technology leveraged electronic signatures to more than just an electronic image identical to a person’s wet ink signature, as it records the handwritten signature of a person by parameters of pressure, acceleration, speed and rhythm. These parameters are unique to every individual (similar to one’s finger-print) and cannot be easily reproduced by a forger. Once a signature including all the biometric parameters has been embedded into a document it is turned into a signed and sealed PDF, thus guarantying authenticity.

The dynamic signature verification is part of a wide range of biometric technologies being used for identity verification by means of unique physiological traits or behavioral characteristics that cannot be forgotten, lost or stolen, including fingerprint identification,  face recognition, retina or iris scan. The biometric handwritten signature is differentiated from other methods of identification as in oppose to other biometrics it is based on the commonly used practice of signing with a handwritten signature and in addition it lacks an invasive nature, making it more easily accepted by people in their business and daily transactions.

In addition to the obvious benefits of dynamic signatures, deriving from its cultural acceptance and easy implementation in any organization, dynamic signature verification is one of the most accurate methods as it cannot be copied or duplicated the way fingerprints or other physical biometrics can. Furthermore it is intuitive, rapid, cost effective and involves compact data. These benefits make it a superb solution for document authentication in most business environments and workflows.