November 05, 2020, 03:06 PM
The Government Technology Agency (GovTech) has launched a new "Sign with SingPass" service, which will likely make your life easier.
"Sign with SingPass" allows SingPass users to digitally sign electronic documents using only their app. This digital signature is identifiable and uniquely linked to the signer, said GovTech in a press release.
This new feature will be progressively rolled out by GovTech’s wholly owned subsidiary, Assurity Trusted Solutions Pte Ltd (ATS), in collaboration with eight leading digital signing application providers — DocuSign, iText, Netrust, Adobe, OneSpan, Dedoco, Tessaract.io and Kofax.
How to sign your e-documents with SingPass
Here are the steps to signing your e-documents with SingPass:
- Launch the SingPass app and tap "Scan"
- E-documents, which allow for the use of a SingPass signature, will have a QR code and a reference code
- Scan the QR code
- Make sure the reference code that appears on your app matches the code in the document
- Verify your identity
The whole process should take about two minutes.
The digital signature is linked crytographically to the signer and automatically validated at the point of signing.
The signed document can be viewed on any platform.
Digital signatures made with "Sign with SingPass" use certificates issued by ATS, the National Certification Authority. Once ATS is accredited under the Electronic Transactions Act, the digital signatures that are created using "Sign with SingPass" will be regarded as secure electronic signatures.
Digital signatures will be increasingly useful as more online transactions are being conducted, said GovTech, adding that businesses will save cost and manpower by removing the manual processes of verifying physical paperwork.
The agency also said that it will pilot this feature with the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) for the digital signing of property caveats e-lodged with statutory board in the coming weeks.
No document data will be transferred during signing process
GovTech assured that no document data will be transferred between the signer/business partner's platform and the National Digital Identity platform during the signing process.
Instead, only a cryptographically random, unintelligible, and irreversible code representing the signed document will be transferred during the transaction.
GovTech said that it implemented cybersecurity measures that are in line with industry best practices for the "Sign with SingPass" service.
Organisations keen to use “Sign with SingPass” for their digital services can register their interest at https://go.gov.sg/sign.
While there is no payment required to get on board this service, there are terms of service that locally-registered organisations must agree to and fulfil.
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Top image courtesy of GovTech.
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