Electronic Signature
A signature applied digitally, with an identity and a timestamp attached. In most jurisdictions it is as binding as ink — but the legal weight comes from the evidence of WHO signed, not from the image of the signature.
A scanned signature pasted into a PDF is not an electronic signature in any meaningful sense. It proves nothing about who applied it, and anybody with the file can apply it again.
What carries weight is the surrounding record: an authenticated identity, a timestamp, an audit trail showing what was signed and that it has not changed since. Some jurisdictions and some documents still require wet ink — land transactions, certain powers of attorney — so it is worth knowing which of your documents are in that category before you find out the expensive way.
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