Conducting a Forensic Examination of Electronically Captured Signatures

The Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA–1999) gave electronic signatures the same legal weight, as original (hand-made) signatures. As a result, a proliferation of signature capture devices has entered the market place. One of the most commonly used capture devices is the electronic signature tablet, which acquires electronic versions of signatures executed as part of a transaction. Typically, these electronic representations of a signature are embedded (or associated with) the document requiring the signature in such a way as to prevent tampering. Research conducted by the author for Topaz Systems, Inc. (a leading producer of electronic signature tablets and software) and studies necessitated by actual casework, have shown that signatures captured at a rate of 100Hz or faster contain sufficient detail and fidelity to arrive at reliable forensic conclusions as to authorship. In addition, Microsoft Excel™ can be used to produce very accurate graphical plots from the captured raw data.