FAQ: Electronic Seals (eSeals) by Swisscom Trust Services

What are eSeals?

eSeals (electronic seals) are advanced tools that guarantee the authenticity, origin, and integrity of digital documents. Like a traditional physical seal or stamp used by organizations, eSeals are assigned to legal entities to ensure the trustworthiness of a document or data. They offer a high level of security, similar to electronic signatures for individuals. Swisscom Trust Services' eSeals ensure that documents remain untampered and verifiable.

Are all eSeals created equal?

Electronic seals come in different levels, each offering varying degrees of security and legal assurance. Swisscom Trust Services distinguishes between two main levels: The Advanced Electronic Seal and the Qualified Electronic Seal.

• Advanced Electronic Seals are designed to ensure document integrity and authenticity. It provides a moderate level of security, confirming that the sealed data hasn't been tampered with. However, it does not require certification by a Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP), making it more accessible for general use cases where strict legal validity is not required.
• eIDAS-Qualified Electronic Seals (or, in Switzerland, "Regulated Electronic Seals") are the highest level of electronic sealing. To create one, a private key is stored and managed in a certified Qualified Signature Creation Device by a QTSP. This high-security approach makes Qualified Seals suitable for sensitive and legally binding transactions, such as official documents or contracts that need strong verification. Qualified Seals are regulated in detail in the EU regulation eIDAS and the Swiss federal law ZertES.

How do eSeals differ from electronic signatures?

While eSeals and electronic signatures are used to secure documents, the primary difference lies in their application. eSeals are typically applied by organizations and are not tied to a specific individual, unlike electronic signatures, which link directly to a person. This distinction allows multiple users or responsible representatives of a company within a business to apply eSeals for batch document processing, a valuable feature for enterprises or authorities managing high document volumes.

Why should my business consider using eSeals?

eSeals are ideal for businesses that must maintain document integrity in legal, financial, or regulatory communications. They help build trust with clients and partners by guaranteeing that documents have not been altered since sealing. Swisscom's eSeals utilize cryptographic certificates, ensuring secure transactions and full compliance with European Union regulations like eIDAS, enhancing your company's digital trustworthiness.

What are the technological benefits of using eSeals?

Swisscom’s eSeals are based on Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), ensuring high levels of security and data integrity through cryptographic verification. Any tampering with the document will be detected during the verification process, making Qualified eSeals virtually impossible to forge. For efficiency, the application and verification of eSeals can also be automated.

What regulations support the use of eSeals?

eSeals comply with the European Union’s eIDAS Regulation, which sets a standard framework for trust services across EU member states. Swisscom Trust Services is an accredited and certified Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP) under eIDAS, providing your business with the assurance that our solutions meet the highest legal and security standards.

How can eSeals improve business processes?

Using eSeals, businesses can automate document certification across departments, reducing manual verification processes and errors. This helps streamline compliance, boost efficiency, and ensure that document integrity is always maintained. Furthermore, businesses can confidently engage in cross-border transactions, knowing their documentation complies with international standards.

How does Swisscom Trust Services enhance the security of eSeals?

Swisscom Trust Services employs cutting-edge cryptographic algorithms to ensure that eSeals offer unparalleled security. With a private key uniquely assigned to your organization, only authorized personnel can apply the seal. The associated public key allows third parties to easily verify the seal’s validity, offering complete transparency and reliability in digital transactions.