About signatures
This page states plainly what a document signed with CyntrolX Sign is, what protects it, and what it is not.
What you get
CyntrolX Sign produces a simple electronic signature: a record that a person who received a signing link opened the document and chose to sign it. Each signer is identified by access to the e-mail address the link was sent to and, where the sender requires it, by an additional access check.
Tamper-evident seal
When every recipient has finished, the completed PDF is sealed with a digital certificate held by this CyntrolX Sign service. Any change made to the file afterwards breaks the seal, and a PDF reader will report it. The seal identifies the service that sealed the document. It does not identify the individual signers.
If the operator of this service has configured a timestamp authority, the seal also carries an RFC 3161 timestamp from that authority. Otherwise the time in the seal comes from the service's own clock.
Audit trail
Every document keeps a log of what happened to it: when it was sent, opened, signed, rejected and completed, with the time, IP address and browser of each action. The log is attached to the completed document as a signing certificate and can be downloaded by the sender.
What it is not
- It is not an advanced or qualified electronic signature under the EU eIDAS Regulation, and it is not equivalent to a handwritten signature where the law requires a qualified one.
- No trust service provider verifies the identity of a signer. The evidence is the audit trail described above.
- The sealing certificate is issued by the operator of this service. It is not on the Adobe Approved Trust List or the EU Trusted Lists, so a PDF reader may show the signature as having unknown validity until you choose to trust the certificate. The tamper check works either way.
When you need more
Simple electronic signatures are accepted for many everyday agreements, but some documents must by law be signed by hand, notarised, or signed with a qualified electronic signature. If you are unsure which applies to your document, take legal advice before you rely on this service.