9 Security Best Practices for Electronic Signatures in 2025

Electronic signatures are only as trustworthy as the security measures surrounding them. A signed document that can be tampered with, accessed by unauthorized parties, or lacks an audit trail isn't just insecure — it's potentially worthless in court.

Here are 9 security best practices that every business should implement when using electronic signatures.

1. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

MFA adds a second layer of verification beyond just email access. When a signer receives a document, they must verify their identity through:

SMS verification code sent to their phone
Email one-time password (OTP)
Authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Authy)
Knowledge-based authentication (security questions)

Why it matters: Email accounts get compromised. MFA ensures that even if someone gains access to a signer's email, they can't forge their signature without the second factor.

Implementation tip: Use MFA for high-value documents (contracts over a certain amount, legal agreements) and consider making it optional for low-risk documents to avoid friction.

2. Maintain Comprehensive Audit Trails

An audit trail is a tamper-proof log of every action taken on a document. A strong audit trail captures:

Document creation timestamp
Sender identification (name, email, IP address)
Document delivery confirmation
Document viewed events (when each signer opened it)
Signature events (when and how each party signed)
IP addresses and device information for each action
Geolocation data (where available)
Completion and download events

Why it matters: In legal disputes, the audit trail is your evidence. Courts look for clear, timestamped proof that the signer received, reviewed, and intentionally signed the document. SignQuick's audit trail captures all of these data points automatically.

3. Use Strong Encryption

Your e-signature platform should encrypt documents at multiple levels:

In Transit

TLS 1.3 (minimum TLS 1.2) for all data moving between browser and server
Certificate pinning to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks
HSTS headers to force HTTPS connections

At Rest

AES-256 encryption for stored documents
Encrypted backups with separate key management
Key rotation on a regular schedule

Client-Side

Browser-based PDF generation reduces server-side exposure
Local encryption before upload for maximum security

4. Implement Role-Based Access Controls (RBAC)

Not everyone in your organization needs access to every signed document. Implement access controls that limit who can:

Create and send signature requests
View signed documents
Download completed documents
Delete or archive documents
Manage users and permissions
Access audit trails and reports

Best practice: Follow the principle of least privilege — give each user only the access they need to do their job.

5. Set Document Retention Policies

Keeping signed documents forever increases your attack surface and may violate data protection regulations like GDPR. Establish clear retention periods:

Employment documents: Retain for the duration of employment plus 3-7 years
Commercial contracts: Retain for the contract term plus the statute of limitations (typically 3-6 years)
Tax-related documents: Retain for 7 years (IRS requirement)
Healthcare records: Varies by state (typically 6-10 years for adults)

Implementation: Use a platform that supports automatic document expiration. SignQuick offers configurable retention periods that automatically remove documents after the set period.

6. Verify Signer Identity

Beyond MFA, implement additional identity verification for high-stakes documents:

Email verification: Confirm the signer has access to the email address on file
Phone verification: Send an SMS code to a verified phone number
ID verification: Request a photo ID for sensitive transactions
Knowledge-based authentication: Questions only the real signer can answer
IP restriction: Limit signing to specific IP ranges for internal documents

7. Use Tamper-Evident Technology

Ensure that any modification to a signed document is detectable:

Hash-based integrity: Generate a cryptographic hash of the document at the time of signing. Any subsequent change invalidates the hash.
Digital certificates: Embed signing certificates in the PDF for independent verification
Visual indicators: Include signature stamps with timestamps and verification codes

8. Regular Security Audits and Penetration Testing

Don't wait for a breach to discover vulnerabilities:

Quarterly security reviews of your e-signature workflows
Annual penetration testing of your platform or chosen vendor
Vendor security assessments — review your e-signature provider's SOC 2, ISO 27001, or equivalent certifications
Employee training on phishing, social engineering, and secure document handling
Incident response plan specific to document signing breaches

9. Compliance Monitoring

Stay ahead of regulatory requirements:

ESIGN Act / UETA compliance for US-based transactions
eIDAS compliance for EU transactions
HIPAA compliance if handling protected health information
SOX compliance for financial documents in public companies
GDPR / CCPA compliance for data protection
Industry-specific regulations (FINRA for finance, FDA for pharma, etc.)

Best practice: Maintain a compliance checklist and review it quarterly. Regulations evolve, and what was compliant last year may not be this year.

Building a Security-First Signing Workflow

Here's how to put these practices together:

Choose a secure platform — [SignQuick](/) offers encryption, audit trails, and configurable retention out of the box
Configure access controls based on roles in your organization
Create document templates with standardized security settings
Train your team on secure document handling practices
Set up retention policies aligned with legal requirements
Enable MFA for sensitive document types
Review and audit your workflows quarterly

Conclusion

Security isn't a feature you toggle on — it's a mindset that should permeate your entire document signing workflow. By implementing these 9 best practices, you protect not just your documents, but your business's reputation, legal standing, and client trust.

Start with the basics (encryption, audit trails, access controls) and work your way up to advanced measures (MFA, penetration testing, compliance monitoring). Every layer of security you add makes your e-signature workflow more defensible.

9 Security Best Practices for Electronic Signatures in 2025