Topic: Electronic signatures

[Mark]

Anyone using them? Any thoughts?

as in; http://www.dot.state.fl.us/construction/forms/ElectronicSubmit/AcquisitionGuidelines.shtm

Thanks

[ronjonp]

I'm not using them .. but leave it to the DOT to complicate something that should be simple.

[mjfarrell]

some folks I've worked with do...

one word....

TABLET device to capture the signatures

[Matt__W]

We just started looking into it and possibly using Bluebeam to digitally sign PDFs.

http://www.bluebeam.com/us/solutions/workflows/digital-signatures.asp

[cadtag]

some folks I've worked with do...

one word....

TABLET device to capture the signatures

which has about as much validity as taking a polaroid of an architect's seal and pasting that picture to a drawing with rubber cement.

[JohnK]

I have been trying to tell bosses (and even some code people) that the scaned copy of their signature is not a digital signature for years. I would also be really interested in hearing about any implimentations people have.

M@yhem, you had better come up with a plan B; signing mulitple sheet individually will get old really fast! Adobe Professional has a batch mode if that helps.

[mjfarrell]

some folks I've worked with do...

one word....

TABLET device to capture the signatures

which has about as much validity as taking a polaroid of an architect's seal and pasting that picture to a drawing with rubber cement.

it appears to be legal and valid methodology in the state(s) they are doing it in

[Matt__W]

I have been trying to tell bosses (and even some code people) that the scaned copy of their signature is not a digital signature for years. I would also be really interested in hearing about any implimentations people have.

M@yhem, you had better come up with a plan B; signing mulitple sheet individually will get old really fast! Adobe Professional has a batch mode if that helps.

I think what we could do is apply a stamp (seal and signature image file) to all pages using the Apply Stamp to All Pages command then digitally certify the document which then prevents modifying it.
http://communities.bluebeam.com/showthread.php?5443-Adding-Digital-Signatures-to-All-Pages

[cadtag]

some folks I've worked with do...

one word....

TABLET device to capture the signatures

which has about as much validity as taking a polaroid of an architect's seal and pasting that picture to a drawing with rubber cement.

it appears to be legal and valid methodology in the state(s) they are doing it in

Appearances can be deceiving -- unless their jurisdiction is totally clueless about digital security, public-private key infrastructure, encryption, and just what the heck a digital signature is.  Possible... but one would hope not.  Bruce Schneier ought to be required reading for anyone talking about digital signatures.  "Secrets and Lies: Digital Security in a Networked World" came out 15 years ago, and is still relevant in discussing the fundamentals.  Putting an image of a seal and signature on a contract drawing is the equivalent of security theater, doing something useless because it looks like you're doing 'something'.  Sorta like taking off your flip-flops to get on an airplane, or going through airport imaging technology.

For a PE or Architect, it's a lawsuit waiting to be lost.

[BlackBox]

Anyone had to set this all up from scratch?


After years of submitting projects without digital signatures to the same agencies (i.e., County, SWFWMD, etc.), we've just received a review comment requiring the submittal be digitally signed.

I am loosely familiar with PEDDS (an FDOT App for digital delivery) from my time beta testing the FDOT Civil 3D State Kit some years ago, but that wasn't my focus, and it's never been required for the projects I worked on.

TIA


[Edit] - Apparently the reviewer at SWFWMD that provided the comment requiring this, told my engineer by phone, that during the submittal/upload process (last step?) they can elect to simply generate the manifest, which generates the key for each document, etc... The engineer can then merely print, sign, seal, and scan THAT back into SWFWMD as a valid 'digital signature'.

From what I've read of the statute, etc. that's a far cry from the criteria for a digital signature; acquiring an SHA-1 Certificate, installing for the individual associated with that unique key, and formally 'signing' the documents, etc., no?

[dtkell]

I always thought these people were on the right track years ago: http://www.cadlock.com/
After looking at the site now, maybe they were ahead of their time.

[danallen]

if the AJH keeps a copy of signed permit drawings, is this really an issue? Same goes for faxed/scanned contract signatures

http://www.adamsdrafting.com/fax-and-scanned-signatures/