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How to Ensure SES and AES Are Legally Compliant in Banking – Key Principles for IT Professionals
Digital signatures are transforming how banks manage approvals, customer interactions, and compliance processes. But basically only qualified electronic signatures (QES) are legally equivalent to handwritten ones. What about simple (SES) and advanced electronic signatures (AES)—the more flexible, scalable options many institutions prefer?
When implemented correctly, SES and AES can fulfil given regulatory requirements. This mainly concerns cases for which no handwritten signature or a QES is mandatory. But to achieve that, IT and compliance teams must go beyond basic eSignature tools and ensure their signature flows are robust, traceable, and properly tied to identity and consent.
Four Key Legal Requirements for Electronic Signatures
To be compliant, an AES should:
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Be uniquely linked to the signatory
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Enable reliable identification of the signatory
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Be created under the sole control of the signatory
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Be linked to the signed data in a way that reveals tampering
Meeting these criteria requires a secure combination of identity management, authentication, and data integrity—especially if you're working with on-premise systems and handling sensitive financial data.
From SMS to Biometrics – How Banks Can Ensure Consent
Signature consent doesn’t stop at clicking a button. It’s about ensuring that the right person signs, with full traceability. Banks often rely on multi-factor authentication (like SMS OTPs, biometric mobile apps, or corporate SSO systems) to prove user intent. But just as important is the onboarding process—how the signer’s identity was originally verified.
Audit Trails, Integrity, and Visual Trust
Even if the cryptographic backend is sound, your solution should also provide:
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A tamper-proof audit trail for legal disputes
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Signatures that show as valid in tools like Adobe Reader
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Clear documentation for internal risk reviews or audits
Our on-premise solution supports exactly these capabilities—and more.
Our technical guide summarises what you need for AES and SES compliance
Whether you're building internal workflows or customer-facing signature journeys, this resource will help you get it right.
Download our free PDFDisclaimer: this information represents the view of SwissSign, which collected the information to the best of their knowledge. However, as we are not a law firm, we do not guarantee the correctness of the below statements and do not assume any liability for decisions based on this information. In case you need legal advice if a specific set up meets your legal requirements, we kindly ask you to contact a respective law firm.
