How electronic and digital signatures are transforming financial services across the Asia Pacific

Summary•3 min read

By Neal Woo, Principal Solution Consultant at Docusign Asia-Pacific.

The financial services industry is evolving fast. Across the Asia Pacific, digital transformation is reshaping traditional practices and customers have come to expect the ease and convenience that advanced technologies deliver. A big part of this transformation? Electronic signatures.

Digitising signing not only streamlines operational processes but also aligns with the global trend towards digitization and paperless transactions. It’s also proving a powerful enabler in the Asia Pacific, a region characterized by diverse markets and frequent cross-border transactions. Electronic and digital signatures help secure these transactions, allowing financial institutions to collaborate on a global scale — ultimately contributing to the growth and stability of the regional financial ecosystem.

Yet financial services institutions can be wary of diving in — particularly given the sensitive nature of the data they handle. Industry leaders regularly voice concerns about security and authenticity. To help address these concerns, this article explores the role of electronic and digital signatures in the financial sector, and how they help foster trust, enhance security, and facilitate seamless transactions.

Not all electronic signatures are the same

There are different types of electronic signatures available, which financial institutions can choose from to suit their use cases and risk appetite.

eSignature (Electronic Signature)This delivers the best customer experience and fastest time to market, with each signature backed by a personal identifier of the signer such as name, email, IP address & Date/Timestamp.

Advanced Signer IdentificationOn top of the standard electronic signature, this adds an additional layer of identification (i.e. OTP, SMS, Phone Authorization, ID Verification, SSO), leading to more personal identifiers in the final audit trail.

Digital SignaturesOn top of the standard electronic signature, this adds an additional Digital Certificate from a trusted local certificate authority on top of the standard electronic signature. Examples of local certificate authority are Singpass (SG), eMudhra (India) & VIDA (Indonesia).

While Digital Signatures provide the highest signer assurance, there’s an extra onus on the signer at the outset.

List of Digital Signature Providers

Digital certificates play a crucial role in the implementation of digital signatures. These certificates, issued by trusted Certificate Authorities (CAs), are electronic credentials that bind a public key to the identity of the certificate holder. Throughout the Asia Pacific, where cross-border transactions are common, digital certificates establish a trust anchor that transcends geographical boundaries.

Below is a list of all the Trust Service Providers that can issue you a digital certificate to use with Docusign in Asia.

Country	Trust Service Provider or accrediting agency	Description
(Mainland) China	BJCA	Beijing Certificate Authority (BJCA) was established in February 2001 as a state-owned Certificate Authority. BJCA is one of the first professional electronic certification service providers granted the electronic certification service license by the government of China.
(Mainland) China	eSealsBB	eSealsBB is a Bairun Baicheng Group company providing electronic seals, Chinese Advanced Signature and a gateway to Certification Authorities licensed by the Chinese Ministry of Information Technology (MIIT).
India	eMudhra	eMudhra is a licensed CA that adheres to the specifications outlined by India's Information Technology Act. The company has issued more than a million certificates that are used for tax documents, tenders, international trade, banking, railway operations and many other scenarios.
India	India CCA	Docusign also accepts signer-held certificates from all of the Trust Service Providers accredited by the Indian Controller of Certifying Authorities.
Japan	GlobalSign	GlobalSign issues document signing certificates to both individuals and organizations. You can apply your certificate to an unlimited number of signatures, which do not expire when the certificate expires. All certificates include free, secure timestamping, which some regulations require.
Singapore	Singpass	Launched in March 2003, Singapore Personal Access (Singpass) enables you to easily and securely complete online transactions with over 60 government agencies. After you download and set up the Singpass mobile app on your device, you’re issued a digital identity by the National Certification Authority (NCA). You can use this ID as proof of your online identity whenever you transact with Singpass.
Singapore	National Digital Identity	The government of Singapore has developed a National Digital Identity (NDI) platform, which allows citizens and residents a single digital identity to transact with both the public and private sectors thanks to the Singpass application. NDI serves as a secure and trusted digital credential as well as a platform for authentication, authorization and consent.
South Korea	KTNET	KTNET was established in 1992 and designated as an ‘electronic Trade Infrastructure Provider’ by the Korean government (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy). In 2002, KTNET started Certificate Authority Service (TradeSign) by Electronic Signature Act and has provided millions of certificates every year. KTNET is Korea's representative company in the field of e-commerce. Watch this video to see how you can use Docusign and KTNET to sign agreements.
United Arab Emirates (UAE)	UAE Pass (ePillars integration).	UAE PASS is the first secure national digital identity for citizens and residents, enabling them to access many online services across various sectors, sign and authenticate documents and transactions digitally, request a digital version of their official documents, and use the official documents to request services from our partners. Founded in 2007, ePillars Systems LLC helps enterprises in transforming their businesses using our IT-based systems and Digital Business Solutions. With their readily available expertise, ePillars provides dedicated support to customers across the GCC region. ePillars is a Docusign partner providing an integration with UAE Pass Signature. ePillars also provides expertise in various integrations with Docusign's products suite.
Vietnam	Vietnam National Root Certification Authority	Docusign accepts signer-held digital certificates from all Trust Service Providers accredited by Vietnam’s National Root Certification Authority.

It’s clear that electronic and digital signatures have an important role to play in Asia Pacific financial markets. As the industry continues to embrace digital transformation, ensuring the security and authenticity of electronic transactions remains a top priority — and Docusign is committed to enabling this.

To learn more about how Docusign can help your financial institution remain at the forefront of global financial innovation, please get in touch.