DocuSign: Remote Online Notarization Helps Protect the Privacy and Security of Signatories’ Personal Information

During a notarial deed, signatories often disclose personal or private information such as addresses, account numbers and financial details. One of the duties of a notary public is to respect the privacy of each signatory by not using or sharing their personal or proprietary information.. Notaries must also take appropriate measures to guarantee confidentiality and prevent any possible breach of this information. Among its many advantages, remote online notarization (RON) can help notaries fulfill this obligation more efficiently than traditional in-person notarizations, with additional security protocols including data backup and breach notification requirements.

RON laws generally require additional measures to verify the identity of the signer

With more states adopting RON laws and the physical presence of the signer no longer being required, state RON laws often require additional measures to verify the identity of the signer. For example, RON providers may be required to:

• Verify the signer’s identity data (name, address, date of birth, etc.), images of the signer’s government-issued photo ID, and third-party validation of that identity data and image

• Present questions and validate answers regarding the signer’s personal and financial background to further verify the signer’s identity

• Create, and often retain, proof of the notarial transaction, including audio-visual recording and electronic journal

For this reason, it is important to use a RON platform operated by a trusted partner that recognizes the importance of and securely stores the non-public personal information (NPI) and personally identifiable information (PII) of the signer.

How to Evaluate Privacy and Security Protections for Different RON Providers

To determine whether a RON provider is adequately addressing privacy protections for personal information, organizations should begin by reviewing the provider’s privacy policy, particularly whether the policy addresses uses of personal information permitted by US law. State. Organizations should also consider whether the RON provider has enforced privacy protections that transparently define its data processing rules, such as via Binding Corporate Rules (BCR), which bind the provider and its affiliates to rigorous and consistent privacy governance processes.

Assessing security protections can be more difficult, as it may require specialized knowledge. However, organizations can consider the following criteria to determine whether a RON provider likely has sufficient safeguards in place.

Experience and Reputation: Experience in handling personal information and well-established privacy, trust and data handling policies can help ensure sensitive information is protected at all times.

Company size: large publicly traded companies are less likely to be acquired or go out of business (compared to smaller private companies) and pose less risk when it comes to maintaining control over the long term customer data.

Security controls: Encrypting sessions and documents with redundant backups and secure storage can help ensure adequate security is maintained throughout the transaction, and for as long as files are stored.

Access controls: Two-factor authentication, limited permissions based on roles and responsibilities, and the ability to audit account activity can help ensure that only authorized personnel access documents containing sensitive information.

Choosing a trusted RON provider can help protect the privacy and security of signer information

Finding a trusted RON provider goes far beyond the features available. This is to ensure that the provider meets the necessary privacy, security and compliance standards and can meet these obligations over an extended period. When organizations use DocuSign Notary to perform RON, they can be confident that DocuSign, a public company, has policies, procedures and training in place to align with these privacy and security standards and will be there for years to come. to come. Notary is powered by DocuSign’s eSignature platform, which incorporates nearly two decades of experience in transformative digital technologies, information security, privacy and data center management.

For more information on DocuSign Notary’s security practices, visit DocuSign Trust Center or see Security for DocuSign eSignature.