Older ReleasesJune 2012May 2012March 2011February 2011November 2010February 2009December 2008September 2008
The catch-up game is over as California authorizes and approves DocVerify to manufacture the electronic seals for commissioned notaries in the state as DocVerify’s electronic notary platform exceeds most of the security standards set forth by the industry. The decision is not a surprise because Californian notaries have always used DocVerify as their preferred platform for electronic notarization services from the beginning.
DocVerify is famous among independent notaries and large organizations in California as well as many other states for reliable electronic notarization and remote notarization products. It allows independent notaries to start their business and those working for organizations a user-friendly and safe as well as secure platform to deliver their notarization services to their respective clients.
An electronic seal is compulsory for electronic notarization services in California as without it a notary cannot perform an e-notarization. DocVerify will be manufacturing the required electronic seal specifically for users of the DocVerify e-notary platform.
DocVerify has simplified the process of obtaining electronic stamp for all the notaries in the state. They can log on to the platform, provide the necessary details and documents as part of the application process, send in their Certificate of Authority from the state, and wait as DocVerify creates an exclusive electronic seal stamp for them that’s only accessible to the notary that owns it.
After successful completion of the process, the notary will have an e-stamp available in the system. This will remove the need of any additional software or hardware components that notaries traditionally needed to notarize documents. It’s as simple as signing in, uploading the documents to be notarized or working through an integration partner, and then simply notarizing them through their browsers.
Here, electronic notarization should not be confused with remote notarization. In remote notarization, there is no need for the participants to be physically present personally before the notary. The person that requires notarization can appear on the webcam and the notarization can be done without physical presence. At this moment, California does not allow remote notarizations; however, in the near future it should also be also possible in California.
DocVerify is successfully helping notaries provide electronic notarization and remote notarization in over 28 states right now. It does not hire notaries to perform notarization. Instead, it is an open platform that lets individuals provide their electronic notarization services and start their own e-notary businesses unlike many call center type notary services that hire their own notaries, and only pay them a fraction of what is collected.
The best thing for notaries is that they get to use a platform that’s not only secure, but also lets them make ample money from their services. They don’t have to work for organizations to use DocVerify e-notary platform and pay heavy commissions from their earnings.
Over 300,000 Texas notaries have a golden opportunity to expand their business with DocVerify with the new legislation allowing online remote notarization in the state of Texas. Before this new legislation, notaries could only deliver in-person electronic notary services.
DocVerify's e-notary platform for notary services has been the leader, and most popular around the country. Its use has been increasing as more and more states permit electronic notarization or online notarization. There is ease in using DocVerify's platform that enables notaries to deliver their services using just a browser. They can also use DocVerify APIs to deliver the electronic and online remote notarization services to their customers using their existing methods.
The state requirements are always a big challenge for notaries in providing their services. With the new legislation, they always have trouble finding the starting point to deliver improved services. Online remote notarization is inevitable right now and the best way to deliver it is through DocVerify. That's because DocVerify has the approval in every state for notaries to use it for remote and electronic notarization services.
One of the challenges for Texas notaries was the x.509 certificate. However, those who will use DocVerify will not have to worry about that either. State-required stamp images are another worry that DocVerify will facilitate the notaries with by making it a simple process for the notaries.
DocVerify is a perfect solution for organizations such as title companies, title insurance, escrow, real estate based companies, medical, insurance, etc., that want to provide notarization services through their own notaries. Everything from notary management to monitoring of every notarized document is possible with DocVerify. Any such organizations in Texas can now allow their notaries to deliver remote and in-person notarization services.
There will be a lot of ease in providing notarization services for notaries as they start using DocVerify. As the pioneers of this service, DocVerify opens business opportunities for notaries. It keeps notaries from facing any legal issues since the platform already complies with the state rules and regulations. Furthermore, notaries can make money by using DocVerify because there is no middle party to take the larger portion of their earnings away. DocVerify's transactional fee is small enough to keep notaries making the most of every transaction.
With other call center type providers, they keep a chunk of what the notary makes, and in some cases are forced to sign non-competes. In this setup with most other providers, notaries are more like call center operators, and not the businesspersons they wish to be.
Whether it's a consumer wanting to get insurance paperwork attested or a business looking to properly process signatures, when the need for document notarization arises, it's often urgent — a need that must be fulfilled quickly.
Despite major advancements in technology, however, the notarization process continues to be slow and outdated. It hasn't changed for decades, if not longer, and still involves finding a local notary service provider, printing out physical copies, racing to make an in-person appearance and using a rubber stamp to seal the deal. It's a time-consuming process, to say the least.
Slowly but surely, though, things are finally beginning to change, according to Darcy Mayer, executive vice president of electronic signature and notarization solutions provider DocVerify. In a recent interview with PYMNTS, Mayer explained that many in the industry are interested in seeing the technology take off, but there are legal and other challenges that can get in the way.
"Notaries are really eager to adopt new technologies — and the companies we deal with, a lot of them are very interested in moving forward with [it]," he said. "Adoption can be slow, even within that institution or organization, because of the scope of what it all entails."
From Bill to Law
In the mid-2000s, roughly 25 U.S. states passed laws allowing documents to be notarized electronically if the participants were in the same room as the notary, thus opening the market for solutions like DocVerify's.
In 2012, Virginia became the first state to legalize remote notarization and allow participants in different states — or even different countries — to have documents notarized electronically. The passing of Virginia's law was followed by similar legislation in Texas, clearing the way for even further adoption.
But, while legislative progress has been made, there is still work to be done to get the industry up to speed, Mayer noted. That includes changing the way some companies think about electronic notarization technology.
"It's been slow in terms of adoption, but we've found that is because people are already ingrained in their old habits," he said. "Notarizations have been done using a rubber stamp for at least 100 years now, and before that it was wax. So, that's the process people are used to, and the process they trust."
Securing the Signatures
DocVerify offers both in-person and remote electronic notarization solutions to remain compliant with the laws passed by all 50 state legislatures, Mayer noted. Both solutions rely on knowledge-based authentication (KBA) protocols, like those used by banks or other financial players.
"If the notary doesn't personally know the participant, which they typically don't, they are required to perform an ID verification," he said. "That entails a knowledge-based authentication, which is similar to what a bank does."
As part of that KBA process, notaries collect personal information, including a participant's driver's license and partial or whole Social Security number. That information is then used to create a series of five questions to verify the identities of notarization participants.
To complete the process, participants must answer four of the five KBA questions correctly. If they can't? No notarization for them – at least according to the law.
The Challenge of Changing Consumer (and Company) Habits
But clearing legal hurdles isn't the only challenge in accelerating adoption of modern notary solutions.
While many notaries and their clients are eager for new technology, many have been slow to actually adopt it due, in large part, to legal and financial concerns. Simply put, decades-old habits die hard – even when new advances come along.
To give users incentives to change those habits, DocVerify and other software solutions are designed to provide benefits for both parties. That includes a more efficient and expedited process, as well as savings on costs and fees.
"The businesses or consumers that need documents notarized don't usually have the manpower or know-how to deal with the individual requirements to get past the legislation," Mayer explained. "We solve that problem by enabling [them] to provide this service to their end users or have this service as part of their workflows."
For notaries, many of whom run small business operations without a budget for major tech overhauls, the service offers new capabilities that can be used to market to prospective clients – and at a rate that won't break the bank.
"From the notaries' point of view, if they had to go out and build the technology themselves, or acquire it, it would be unattainable or, at the very least, unaffordable," Mayer said. "So, we work to provide a very affordable solution for [them]. All they have to do is quickly sign up, go through an application approval process with us and then they can market these services to their customers."
Chicken or the Egg?
There's also another, less obvious issue plaguing electronic notarization adoption, though, and it's one that Mayer called the "chicken or the egg" problem.
Large companies often drive adoption in the space because they can deliver a big impact to the market based on the size of their notarization needs. But those big companies need for notaries in their local areas to use DocVerify's solution to meet those needs – and notaries are wary of adopting and paying for a solution before they are assured they have a client to serve with it.
"So, the notary is apprehensive about doing that until they know the business is on board, and the business isn't going to do that unless there's the right number of notaries to serve them," Mayer explained. "It's a vicious cycle that most of the industry has been dealing with for over a decade."
For its part, DocVerify is fighting back.
When it does see interest from a large company, Mayer said DocVerify will incentivize notaries to adopt the solution with waived fees or expedited application processes. This helps DocVerify to meet the needs of notaries' largest potential clients, and also increases the number of notaries using the solution.
While that has worked on occasion, legal concerns and the "chicken and egg" problem persist. If those dual challenges can soon be solved, it likely won't be long before even the most desperate document authentication needs can be filled in minutes.
Being the leading platform company in providing secure and trusted electronic notarization and remote notarization, DocVerify has quickly become a favorite of real estate, title, escrow, etc., companies in states that have e-notary laws. The platform allows these companies to profit from their notary services without splitting the commission with any parties in the middle.
The secretaries of the states have certified and approved DocVerify for the level of security and flexibility it has added to the electronic notarization and remote notarization services. The lending, escrow and title companies have preferred DocVerify over other competitors because of how straightforward the platform is and how much opportunity it creates for these companies to flourish their businesses by also allowing them to use their own notaries. This is in contrast to many other companies out there that act like call centers and have their notaries working for them like commissioned employees. When title or lending companies approach them, they have to use those already available notaries that are working for the third party who may have no understanding of their business needs.
On the other hand, the same companies can hire their notaries and pay them exactly how they wish to use the DocVerify platform. While it is noteworthy that DocVerify is paving the way to the paperless environment through the digitization of document validation processes, it is even more important that the company has come with an innovative solution that's protected through proprietary layers of security.
Electronic or internet based notarization is becoming common in various states with the passage of time. In addition to that, DocVerify has played a vital role in the recent boom of the e-closings industry. Electronic notarization and remote notarization serves as the backbone of e-closing, and there hasn't been a solution efficient like DocVerify to integrate with the e-closings' systems so well. DocVerify allows the use of various webhooks, widgets, and APIs to become part and parcel of an existing system used by e-closing.
DocVerify also gives full control to the title companies when it comes to managing their signing companies and notaries. When using the DocVerify platform notaries can serve their clients through remote notarization with the assistance of a webcam or in-person electronic notarization. The advanced technology working at the back of the system enables it to identify the status of the notary, i.e., how a notary can notarize the documents.
Darcy Mayer of DocVerify says, "We believe it is only a matter of time when the escrow, title, and lending companies will be able to differentiate between DocVerify and the call center based remote notary services, and pick DocVerify's secure electronic notarization platform as their ultimate solution to notary services."
DocVerify is a system designed with the convenience of every stakeholder in mind. It gives the power back to the escrow, lending, title, mortgage, signing companies, mobile notary companies, etc. companies by allowing them to have their platform to provide their services. Additionally, it lets the notaries work with the peace of mind and independence. While using DocVerify, the notaries can provide their services to any of these companies and work on the terms and conditions that suit them the most.
Recognized and reputed around the world for securing the digitized documents and maintaining their validity, DocVerify is the leader in the electronic notary emote notary, and electronic signature industry. As more and more states accept remote notarization, the need for DocVerify is increasing even more. DocVerify's solution is unique in that it walks away from the commonly available call center like companies where notaries have to work on the pre-defined packages. With DocVerify, they can start and flourish their notary businesses, and getting to keep most of their hard earned money.
DocVerify is the first to introduce extra layers of security in the existing secure remote notary system through an ingenious integration of its proprietary ID capture and facial recognition platform. What makes this system tremendously useful is that it does away with the existing shortcomings in the remote e-notary system while keeping the process simple and straightforward for both, the notaries and the people looking for notarization.
Since Virginia's enactment of remote notarization, several other states have started to incorporate the same into their systems. Notaries can now run their own businesses from their homes or offices without requiring the individuals to visit them for the notarization of their documents.
The existing electronic remote notary system in various states relies heavily on Knowledge Based Authentication, aka KBA. Using this system, individuals looking for online notarization services provide personal information about themselves. Using this information, a third party provider generates security questions that these individuals must answer correctly to be verified as legit parties.
However, the hundreds of security breaches that have taken place in the past years have made KBA weak and unreliable. It is easy for the people on the dark web to identify themselves as people who they are not. Even though the remote e-notarization procedure requires individuals to be present in front of a webcam, a false person can answer the series of questions based on the stolen information and get away with the webcam session if the notary does not have a picture of the person for reference.
That's exactly where DocVerify adds an additional new layer of security with its new ID Capture platform. Using this platform, notaries can require individuals to authenticate their IDs by asking them to present copies of their licenses, the back and the front side for analysis in addition to KBA. Furthermore, they will use their real-time image appearing on the screen and tally it with the picture on the license With DocVerify's powerful facial recognition that can analyze images from the web cam and the license.
Russel Michelson of DocVerify says, "We (DocVerify) are proud to be in a position where our technological innovations aren't just for the sake of it. Instead, our innovations solve problems... like our new ID capture platform, which is equally benefitting for people looking for notary services and those providing them."
By adding these simple steps to its e-notary platform, DocVerify has fortified the system where hackers will not be able to identify themselves as someone else even with the stolen information from company's databases. The best part is how easy it will be for notaries and individuals looking for notarization of their documents to adjust with this system. The steps are simple, straightforward, and secure the system as well as the notarization as a whole.
DocVerify also plans to make the ID Capture platform available to other integration partners that want to provide this level of security and authentication to their clients as well in the near future.
DocVerify is a hub for solutions directed at electronic signature and electronic notarization of documents. The company has been working to make e-signatures and e-notarizations safer and faster in a world where paper-based solutions are going away fast. Their service offerings are aimed at facilitating enterprises, businesses of all sizes and helping individuals run their businesses. The integration of Wufoo is just another effort from DocVerify to support electronic notary businesses and make the e-notarization of documents more accessible to notaries, easier, and safer.
DocVerify has today released their new WebHook feature that allows users to instantly update the status of their electronic signatures on documents to any remote website. This innovative, powerful feature operates by doing a simple GET or a POST directly to any URL using WebHooks the moment a signer creates a new signature document, views a signature document or signs a document, once the document has completed the signature process.A WebHook is a contract management tool that provides users with valuable information as soon as it happens, which means no more waiting to find out the status of e-signatures or having to pull the data. Users are able to register their own URL and then extend, customize and integrate that application with their own custom extensions or other applications on the World Wide Web.According to DocVerify, "It's very simple." After the system has been activated, you simply enter the URL of the page where you have set it up to receive DocVerify's GETs or POSTSs, and the instant a signer performs an action, such as viewing an e-sign document or completing an e-signature document, your page is instantly notified of the update. This allows you to quickly update the information on your own site without the need of constantly having to pull the data from DocVerify for status updates.In addition, DocVerify's new webhook feature is also designed to work in coordination with DocVerify's voice signature system, not only the e-sign system. Once the user has set up the URL, each time a new voice signature document is created, a voice signature is requested, a call is answered, verified or recorded, the URL is immediately updated.DocVerify's new WebHook feature offers vital help for any contract management or document management needs, ensuring instant notification of electronic signatures and more.
DocVerify And Ingram Micro Announce Partnership For Electronic SignaturesDocVerify has partnered with Ingram Micro to distribute secure electronic signature services allowing for quick and easy e-signings.
DocVerify a leader in secure online electronic signature technologies has partnered with Ingram Micro, the largest technology distributor in the world to deliver DocVerify's services in the cloud.The partnership with Ingram Micro will enable VAR's and resellers to utilize and resell one of the most secure electronic signature systems on the market with one of the most user friendly systems from a signers point of view.About Ingram Micro: Ingram Micro Inc., a Fortune 100 company, is the world's largest technology distributor and a leading technology sales, marketing and logistics company for the IT industry worldwide. As a vital link in the technology value chain, Ingram Micro creates sales and profitability opportunities for vendors and resellers through unique marketing programs, outsourced logistics services, technical support, financial services and product aggregation and distribution.
DocVerify has today announced the release of their powerful new Easy Sign System, designed to allow website owners the ability to integrate electronic signatures into their sites with no programming or HTML knowledge required. This offers website owners searching for a complete answer to their contract management or document management needs a simple, powerful, effective solution.The new Easy Sign System is designed to work with any website, and requires no HTML or coding knowledge from the website owner. According to DocVerify, "Easy Sign has been designed to work inside of any IFrame, giving the electronic signature requestor full control of embedding it anywhere within their own websites. You can even control the IFrame's look and feel."Thanks to the simple, easy customization offered by this electronic signature solution, website owners can offer an enhanced experience to their users as well as adding more aesthetic appeal.DocVerify states, "If there is a page on any remote website that requires users to sign NDAs, the website can have the DocVerify Easy Sign system as part of the process in an IFrame directly in their site. When the IFrame is loaded, DocVerify instantly creates a new document and the signer electronically signs the document directly from within the website, which not only enhances the user's ultimate experience without add any additional steps, but will also add a major "wow" factor to any site."This e-sign solution is the ideal answer to contract management and document management needs. It's also simple and easy to integrate. Website owners only need to sign up for DocVerify, request to have the Easy Sign System activated and then enter the URL from the IFrame – DocVerify does the rest.
DocVerify has today unveiled their newest product designed to ensure authenticity and integrity; this fraud prevention system offers significant advantages to everyone from merchants to individuals and payment providers. Fraud (and the associated problems with fraud, such as chargebacks) is a significant problem in the modern world; especially in card not present situations.According to a Lexis Nexis 2009 study, merchants pay more than $100 billion in fraud losses due to chargebacks and unauthorized transactions. A growing percentage of that amount is due to friendly fraud (more than 1/3 of all fraud for online merchants). DocVerify has released their new service to work in conjunction with their digital signature services, as well as their state-of-the art document vaulting system.The new product is quite simple, and offers merchants significant benefits through increased authenticity and integrity with online purchases. In essence, the merchant simply gathers data about a consumer during the checkout process. The instant a purchase is approved, all the data gathered is sent to DocVerify, where it is compiled and analyzed to create a legally binding contract for that specific purchase. The system utilizes both electronic signature and digital signature technologies to ensure integrity and authenticity, as well as non-repudiation from the buyer.Once the document has been created and the digital signature is in place, DocVerify vaults the document in their highly secure tamper proof vault. The customer receives a copy of the document with their electronic signature right in their inbox.Friendly fraud is a growing concern for merchants, and only through the use of digital signature technologies can legally binding contacts be created. This offers immense protection for merchants, and can help to reduce overhead by an enormous amount by reducing chargebacks and their associated fees.In order for merchants and payment providers to protect themselves against the growing rate of friendly fraud, electronic signature services that create legally binding contracts per transaction are the best solution available.
DocVerify has released the first of its kind for any electronic signature and digital signature provider, powerful new tools designed to enhance security and provide advanced authenticity via phone verification and voice recording. These work hand-in-hand with the company's electronic signature and digital signature process and result in legally binding contracts and documents for non-repudiation.
Signature requestors are able to enjoy significant benefits here, and individuals can also enjoy enhanced security from the chance of identity theft. The phone verification product works very simply, and provides the benefits only an electronic signature can offer.
Signature requestors are able to request verification of phone numbers through either SMS or through an automated phone system before the user is allowed to continue with the signing process. With an SMS notification, the user simply inputs their phone number, and. they will then receive a secret code via SMS.
This code must be input into a text field on the website, so that the user and the phone can be connected for better authenticity and security. With the phone-based verification system, users simply input either their mobile number or a direct landline number. DocVerify's automated system calls the number supplied, and asks for the secret code that appears on their screen. Once the code has been accepted, the user must repeat a phrase or state their name, which is recorded.
The voice is recorded and attached to the legally binding document as an electronic signature. In addition to the digital signature and electronic signature this ensures that the document is legal, and it also ensures that the person using the phone is the person in question, thereby reducing the potential for fraud and identity theft.
With the power of DocVerify's electronic signature products like the new advanced phone verification and voice recording system, the problem of fraud, identity, and authenticity can be reduced.
Top
DocVerify, a leading pioneer in advanced electronic and digital signature solutions, electronic notaries, and encryption technology, today announced a new partnership with Ingeo Systems, Inc. Through the partnership, DocVerify will provide expanded services to its core customers, including electronic recording applications.
A trusted provider of electronic document recording technology, Ingeo Systems, Inc. offers the nation's large e-Recording network. The company is the premiere choice for electronic recording services among banks, title companies and mortgage firms.
"DocVerify and Ingeo Systems, Inc. are equally committed to equipping our customers with the tools they need to reduce costs, save time and securely transmit and track important documents," said Darcy Mayer, chief technology officer, DocVerify.
Since its launch, DocVerify has served customers across a wide range of industries that rely on electronic signatures, electronic notary and secure electronic integrity vaulting to expedite transactions and streamline day-to-day operations. The company's flagship products include E-Signatures, an innovation that has ushered signatures into the modern age, and E-Vault, a revolutionary electronic solution designed to protect documents' authenticity and integrity, thus protecting them against forgery, fraud and theft.
In September 2010, Doc Verify began offering secure, web-based electronic recording through its partnership with Ingeo. E-Recording services will enable submitters to electronically notarize documents through the DocVerify platform, and then electronically file those documents with county recorders across the United States, eliminating the need for express mail and courier services. In addition to reducing costs and consumption, the service shortens the gap to recordation, eliminates payment errors of county fees, and helps to reduce document errors and rejections.
The electronic notary and electronic recording processes are easy and hassle-free. The state-of-the-art applications now available through DocVerify grant customers the ability to scan any original paper submitted with a few data items for indexing, or direct submission of any DocVerify document.
Once documents are submitted, DocVerify users can e-sign and e-notarize them quickly and easily, and then submit them to counties for recordation via the Ingeo network directly from their DocVerify software. A PC, and Internet connection are required to complete the process.
We look forward to leveraging our relationship with Ingeo Systems, Inc. to further enhance our current offerings, and offer more options to our customer base designed to help them further streamline their operations and preserve the integrity of the document cycle," said Mayer.
TopDocVerify Becomes an Approved Vendor for the State of Pennsylvania's Electronic Notarization InitiativeDocVerify Now Accessible to Nearly 80,000+ Notaries Public in Pennsylvania
DocVerify announced the Pennsylvania Secretary of State's office has certified the company to be an approved vendor for its electronic notarization initiative. E-Notary, one of DocVerify's flagship solutions will now be accessible to the State's nearly 80,000 notaries public. The decision further solidifies DocVerify's position as a nationwide leader in advanced digital signature and electronic signature solutions as well as document encryption technology.
"The initiative demonstrates the State's commitment to safeguarding consumers, businesses, government and financial institutions and notaries," said Mayer. "Pennsylvania is a pioneer among state governments in that it is one of the first to launch an electronic notarization initiative. We are pleased to play a role in such a significant and historic development."
Pennsylvania's electronic notarization initiative was first announced in 2006 to enhance economic development. The initiative now permits qualified notaries to electronically notarize documents and electronically record them with participating Pennsylvania county recorders of deeds.
To become an electronic notary (e-notary) in the State of Pennsylvania under the new initiative, commissioned notaries in good standing must apply to the Secretary of State notary division. 19 county recorders of deeds currently participate in the new initiative, including Philadelphia County.
DocVerify's Electronic Notary System is a Software as a Service (SaaS) that allows commissioned notaries to create secure electronic notarizations that can be accessed by the notaries and their clients anytime and from anywhere. It requires no software downloads, installations or maintenance. Additionally, the solution decreases costs associated with journals, paper storage and file organization.
To use E-Notary, notaries public upload a document to DocVerify's user-friendly web interface, complete an electronic journal entry and enter the email addresses of all signing parties. Parties e-sign the document in the presence of the notary, who then electronically notarizes the document and stores it securely in the DocVerify Integrity E-Vault. E-Notaries are as legally binding as traditional pen and stamp notaries in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Minnesota, North Carolina, Texas and Utah.
To learn more about E-Notary, visit www.docverify.com. DocVerify also offers several additional digital security solutions, including E-Signatures, E-Vault, Quick Notes, API Web Services, and verification services.
IRVINE, Calif. – February 26, 2009 – The digital age has ushered in a vast number of solutions designed to facilitate the ease and speed of the transfer and sharing of corporate, legal and personal documents. Unfortunately for companies and individuals, the development of these solutions has outpaced innovations in electronic document security, leaving documents vulnerable to internal, external and online threats, including theft and fraud. In response to alarming statistics and increased concerns over cyber security, DocVerify now delivers an unparalleled solution for companies and individuals committed to making document management, contract management and risk mitigation top priorities. Providing seven layers of protection developed using sophisticated encryption standards, and full document audit trails, DocVerify is the first top-tier document verification system that lets users guarantee the authenticity and integrity of any document from their Internet browser.
According to recent data, more than 35 million data records were illegally accessed in 2008, and more than 83 million records were compromised. The rise in illegal altering and theft of proprietary documents can be attributed in part to still-evolving electronic security infrastructures and standards, and widely held myths about electronic document security. An overwhelming number of Internet users believe that a PDF file cannot be altered and that it is secure. This is one of many common misperceptions that the developers of DocVerify hope will cease to exist as more companies and consumers become better informed, and seek ways to protect themselves and their documents from fraud and tampering.
"There are a number of myths surrounding which areas of the web are secure electronic environments, and which types of documents and protocols are tamper-proof," said Darcy Mayer, DocVerify's Chief Technology Officer. "To mitigate risk, our software provides conclusive proof of when, where, what, and by whom any electronic document was created once it is processed through our system. Our goal is to offer a system that provides users with unparalleled protection and the assurance that regardless of the format the document was created in and who they shared it with, the authenticity and integrity of the document won't be compromised."
DocVerify is a revolutionary Software as a Service (SaaS) designed to help companies and individuals protect the authenticity and integrity of corporate, legal and personal documents and mitigate the risks associated with online file transferring, sharing and storing. With DocVerify, users can prove that a document existed at a given point and time. The software's two-factor authentication, document encryption standards, sequential document system and PKI hashing features make it one of the industry's most secure methods of protecting critical data and files. In fact, the software is so secure that not even the company's IT personnel can view protected files. DocVerify data centers are all SAS 70 type II certified facilities, and all actions are recorded in a tamper-proof audit trail. Additionally, each document is watermarked and time stamped.
DocVerify ensures the long term preservation, accessibility, and authenticity of electronic documents while maintaining legal compliance and eliminating the risk of lost documents. It also facilitates the independent verification of electronic documents that have been DocVerify-ed in the event of a dispute, saving valuable time and money associated with electronic discoveries, lawsuits or legal proceedings.
"Our software has been used by attorneys, mortgage brokers, government agencies and online retailers, among other groups and organizations," said Mayer. "The added assurance of a document's authenticity and integrity creates trust between parties, and is critical to protecting individuals and businesses from unforeseen risks and disputes."While an increasing number of companies are taking steps to utilize advanced software and implement policies to help protect valuable documents and manage risks, most individuals still fail to make personal document security a priority, despite increasing reports of identity theft and fraud. According to recent studies, over 80 percent of people use inadequate measures to protect data.
"One of the most common ways data breaches occur is through the theft and access of laptops," said Mayer. "Most individuals don't realize how valuable the information on their personal laptops is until it's been stolen, and unfortunately 97 percent of them are never recovered. We want to help individuals protect themselves in the event of an unfortunate circumstance. Individuals can use our software to securely protect their documents, e-sign documents, and track and validate their documents. It's fast and easy to use, and with reports of identity theft and other accounts of fraud at an all time high, there's no better way to ensure their peace of mind."
RALEIGH, N.C. – December 22, 2008 – Since the National Association of Secretaries of State developed the national e-notarization standards in 2006, North Carolina has been at the forefront of the implementation of electronic notarization technology. This month, the Secretary of State approved DocVerify, a leading provider of digital security solutions for electronic notaries, further solidifying the state's commitment to the safety and security of e-commerce in North Carolina. DocVerify's revolutionary seven layers of protection is an advanced solution engineered to ensure the safety and security of electronic processes and transactions initiated by state and local governments, businesses and consumers.
"E-notarization technology is still fairly new, and we're making tremendous strides in the industry," said Darcy Mayer, DocVerify's chief technology officer. "Our software has more than 10 unique security features compared to other industry competitors, including double fingerprint protection, verification certificates, advanced document encryption, public key infrastructure technology, and full audit trails on a per document basis. North Carolina's Secretary of State has been a pioneer in adopting e-notarization technology and the office has recognized the benefits and the unparalleled level of security that our internet-based solution can offer North Carolina government agencies, businesses and consumers."
In January 2007, North Carolina transitioned to e-notarization, largely due to the time and money the process could save businesses and consumers involved in real estate transactions. Since then, the office of the Secretary of State has worked with state and local government agencies, businesses and consumers to make the transition a seamless one. Although the recent mortgage crisis has since triggered a slowdown in the real estate industry, e-notarization services and software are still widely used throughout the state.
DocVerify's E-Notary is a Software as a Service (SaaS) that enables licensed notaries to create electronic notaries from their web browser. No additional client software or hardware is required to use DocVerify and there are no hidden license fees. Its patent-pending technology combines the time stamp security of the National Institute of Standards and Technology with advanced encryption technology used by the Department of Defense to deliver unprecedented document protection. The software is used to verify, authenticate and electronically sign a variety of document types including contracts, copyrighted materials, titles, trademark and patent registrations, and promissory notes. DocVerify's E-Notary is also environmentally friendly. The software is a paperless solution that reduces the amount of power and resources typically used to create notarized documents, thus reducing the overall carbon footprint of each document. The software also eliminates the need for couriers and postage to transport the documents, saving both resources and money.
As an approved electronic notary solution provider in North Carolina, DocVerify complies with the state's laws and rules governing e-notarization. DocVerify's E-Notary facilitates the ease of business transactions and saves state and local government agencies, businesses and consumers time and money. The software introduces a more efficient way to notarize up to 180 file types with custom electronic notary stamps, and is equipped with secure e-signing capabilities. The company also hopes that DocVerify's E-notary will be essential in helping to enhance consumer protection and combat identity theft and fraud in the state. According to the office of North Carolina's Attorney General, approximately 300,000 residents are victims of identity theft and fraud each year.
"As e-commerce continues to evolve, we will remain committed to developing software solutions that meet the rules and regulations established by state and local governments that govern notaries, and exceed the expectations of the businesses and consumers that use our software to ensure their safety," said Mayer.
DocVerify E-notary is currently available in many states including North Carolina to licensed notaries, and is continually adding new states. The company also provides several additional digital security solutions, including electronic signatures, Quick Notes, API Web Services, and verification services.
Proprietary new technology brings state-of-the-art protection to electronic documents.
Until recently the only way to prove the authenticity and integrity of an original document in a court of law was to have it notarized and time stamped. That was fine before businesses went electronic. Today, e-documents have legal validity in courts of law. 21st century communications require 21st technology protection.
"Unfortunately" explains Darcy Mayer, founder and CTO of DocVerify, an Orange County based provider of document security services, "with time stamping technology there's no way to guarantee that the original had not been tampered with or adjusted subsequent to time-stamping. And hackers and forgers are always less than half a step behind. Obviously, the Department of Defense uses sophisticated methods to protect their electronic documents. We thought it was time to bring that same level of protection to individuals and to the business world."
The result: DocVerify—the first top-tier Document Verification system that lets you guarantee the authenticity and integrity of any signed document right from your browser. "This is clearly a major leap in convenience", says Darcy "as well, of course, as a leap in security for people like realtors and lawyers who need to be able to prove that their documents are absolutely the originals and have never been tampered with in any way whatsoever." DocVerify's top-tier protection for electronic documentation is expected to be of considerable value for individuals and businesses needing to authenticate agreements, contracts, wills, trusts, deeds, mortgage disclosures, good faith estimates, intellectual property, etc.
Deeper levels of protection
"First your document is protected using advanced encryption, and also assigned unique digital fingerprints for authentication and integrity" says Mayer. "Then, DocVerify time stamps it to the second in coordination with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) assuring that the document was uploaded to DocVerify on the stated date, hour, minute, and second. You're then provided legal certification that you DocVerify-ed your document as of the aforementioned time. Your document is processed, bar coded and stored securely within our system. And once DocVerify'd the document cannot be altered in any way"
"From a convenience perspective, DocVerify is ideal for anyone in any business who needs to be able to quickly and easily have an electronic document "locked" in as of a certain date and time right from their browser", says Mayer. "From a security perspective DocVerify is unique insofar as it adds a second level of encrypted security to any document virtually guaranteeing that it can't be hacked into and tampered with or altered in any way. That's the level of security the government requires. Anyone whose business relies on electronic documents can now enjoy that same level of security. We like to say that if it's important enough to be put in writing it's important enough to DocVerify it."