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Whether you’re a lender, title company, attorney, or realtor, if you’re in the real estate market, you know the scrimmage of getting all parties to sign the appropriate documents on time in a secure manner. Many markets, including the real estate market, have turned to electronic signature solutions to ensure that important documents are signed in a timely, secure manner.

The demand for e-signature solutions, coupled with the need for robust email encryption that protects nonpublic information (NPI), is one reason why AppRiver added a new electronic signature solution to its CipherPost Pro™ email encryption platform, which already includes secure messaging, file sharing, email tracking, and document e-signatures on a monthly subscription.

How e-Signatures and Encrypted Email Work

Many people mistakenly believe that since standard email does not physically change hands, it is more secure that standard mail. However, it is arguably less secure than a post card traveling from Tahiti to New York, with every postal worker (network servers) whose post office it passes through along the way having eyes on it. Heaven forbid it ends up in the wrong recipient’s mailbox (inbox).

Unlike standard email, encrypted email and secure e-signature solutions don’t pass from server to server or even inbox to inbox. Instead, they live on one server within the cloud. When users need to e-sign documents or read encrypted email, they are taken to the secure server to view and sign the document in question, rather than the documents or emails being brought to their inboxes. Since the email or document in question only exists on one server, the sender has the capability of recalling the message, should it inadvertently end up in the wrong inbox.

With secure e-signatures, signatories sign documents by clicking on the attachment in their email, typing their name into the e-signature certificate field, and clicking to acknowledge their signature.  All of this occurs right within their email client. In addition, CipherPost Pro automatically tracks documents and alerts the sender when documents are signed via desktop and mobile alert notifications.

Secure e-Signatures and Email Encryption: The Dynamic Duo

Unlike many stand-alone e-signature solutions that require users to login to the secure platform in their browsers, this new secure e-signature offering is unique in that it integrates directly into Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office 365 and other Web-based email clients, meaning no additional steps must be taken to e-sign a document.

Additionally, it provides an alternative to costly and inefficient signing and transmission of paper documents with a simple “click-to-acknowledge” way to e-sign documents right in email.

CipherPost Pro’s new e-signature solution keeps documents encrypted and secure from the sender’s inbox to the signatory’s, even when stored. Whether a lawyer, realtor, or lender, from complex housing agreements needing multiple signatures to mortgage loan documents, all documents can be signed within seconds from a user’s inbox.

In addition to helping businesses remain compliant with Dodd-Frank, TILA-RESPA, HIPAA, and other regulations on how NPI is transmitted, AppRiver's cloud-based e-signature solution helps customers improve productivity and lower costs, including costly courier, fax or email/print/scan scenarios. It gives users a convenient, fast way to e-sign and exchange various types and sizes of electronic documents and protects documents and sensitive or regulated data.

Additional Features at No Additional Cost

Maximum security.  Encrypt and protect documents in one click. Files are fully secured and signed documents are stored encrypted. User authentication.  Every user is authenticated before e-signing and sending a document. E-signature non-repudiation.  Full authentication, tracking and e-signing data is appended to the document. Real-time activity alerts.  Users receive automatic notifications of e-signatures and message activity. Selectable data residency.  Choose a data center location for documents and emails for regulatory compliance. Support for large files and various file types.  Validate sizable documents such as complex PDFs as well as other file types, including x-rays, without size limitations. Contributed to original sender.  Emails to signatories originate from the sender’s name, eliminating confusion about who owns and sent the information. Mobile functionality.  Messages can be sent, signed and tracked through mobile apps for iOS, Android, Windows 10 and Blackberry 10.

The subscription price for a CipherPost Messaging Pro Account, which includes secure e-signatures, in addition to enterprise-level security, tracking, and control for sharing messages, large files, and information workflows, is $7.95 per month per user and free for guest users.

To find out more about AppRiver, CipherPost Pro and its other solutions visit https://appriver.com/services/email-encryption/.