This has been (and will be) debated for years, but best to keep it in
proportion.
This borrowed from the web site Henmans LLP (a law firm in the Oxford
area): "Choose a method of authentication of digital signatures that is
proportionate to the risk profile of the deal – you may accept a
simple email message generated from your website as an order for a book,
but you may want to involve VeriSign or Visa or other authentication
bodies for a booking for a holiday". This is just general advice from a
law firm, not paid-for legal advice, but it seems to fit our needs.
http://www.henmansllp.co.uk/digital_signatures
That commonsense approach seems to fit - if it's just a book request or
a request for a literature search or an article, the 'risk' is low - an
email or just citing a membership number to make the order, delivery to
a known email address or if you must then signature on collection.
Essentially enough to satisfy us that it's from a registered user. If it
was for a major contract or something that could end up in court with a
dispute along the lines of "it wasn't me that ordered it and you can't
prove it" then you might go further.
The DTI document Tricia cited talks about major business contracts etc,
where of course it matters far more than our own, admittedly vital,
work.
Reasonable, practical and proportionate, they're the key attributes.
And you always have the opportunity to reauthenticate at the point of
delivery - and of course if you're doubtful you just double-check with
the requestor before doing anything that might cost money.
Kind regards,
Mark.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Kerr (x76020)
Clinical Librarian, EKHUFT
Kent & Canterbury Hospital
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
Ethelbert Road, Canterbury
Kent, CT1 3NG
01227 864354 (Library)
01227 864156 (Direct Line)
01227 864154 (FAX)
----------------------------------------------------
>>> Rey Patricia <[log in to unmask]> 02/10/2012 15:24 >>>
From the copyright workshops arranged by SHALL I understood that to be
legally valid an esignature has to be transmitted across a secure,
encrypted network (ie be a digital signature) and that the nhs network
does not meet the required specifications.
There's some interesting info here regarding esignatures and digital
signatures. http://www.arx.com/digital-signatures-faq
The DTI's factsheet is here http://www.bis.gov.uk/files/file34339.pdf
Tricia Rey
Library Services Manager
Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
East Grinstead
Tel: 01342 414266
Mailto:[log in to unmask]
________________________________
From: UK medical/ health care library community / information workers
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Library
Sent: 02 October 2012 15:13
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: e-signatures
Can anybody advise about electronic signatures? I understand that
according to CILIP e-signatures are legally permissible in the UK but
I'm also aware that there are some caveats involved, one in particular
being authentication. I have read that typing a name into a document ,
such as an email, is accepted as a signature and, if I understand
correctly, I think that using an online request from that can only be
accessed once you have logged on to a system is also proof of
authentication. This would mean that a request form that is only
accessible on the intranet and also require the addition of a member's
unique library barcode number should be acceptable too.
Do any of you rely e-signatures and is this as complicated as some
would have us belief. Also is this something that we would need
discuss
with our legal department?
Kind Regards
Jo Hooper
Library Assistant
Library
Level 5
Education Centre
Upper Maudlin Street
Bristol
BS2 8AE
Tel: 0117 3420105
Fax: 0117 9170161
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