What is an e-seal and how to use it?
In this article:
Note: This functionality is available for "Enterprise" plan subscriptions only.
What is an e-seal?
An e-seal is an electronic version of a company seal that is associated only with legal entities. E-seals are used to ensure the origin and integrity of data, for example, by guaranteeing that the document belongs to or was issued by a particular company. Just like electronic signatures, electronic seals are also available in either advanced (AdESeal) or qualified (QESeal) forms.
E-sealing methods
An electronic seal can be acquired in a cryptographic USB token or deployed in a special Hardware Security Module (HSM) – a specific type of cloud-based server that is included in the European Commission’s administrated list of qualified e-signature and e-seal creation devices.
The benefit of cloud-based e-sealing is that it offers the comfort of centralized access to all of its enabled users. This means there isn't a need to share a device among an organization's employees, as would be the case with USB tokens. Cloud-based e-sealing also offers the capability to seal documents in batches rather than each one separately.
How to e-seal documents in the portal?
1.0. To upload a document for e-sealing in the portal, click the "Upload document" button.
1.1. In the 1st section, select the required document format. This will represent the format of the document that you'll be able to download once it's sealed, not the format that you're uploading.
1.2. In the 2nd section, upload the document you'd like to e-seal. The document name will automatically match the uploaded file name; however, you can change this if necessary.
1.3. In the 3rd section, change your role to "Access".
Note: With the role "Signer", the system will be expecting you to both e-seal and e-sign the document. This means the document won't be marked as complete unless you intend to do both actions.
1.4. In the 4th section, edit any necessary document settings and click "Send".
Note: You can choose the e-seal placement on the document from "Annotation position".
1.5. You'll be redirected to another page. At the bottom of this page, in section 4, select the tab "Add e-seal". Choose the necessary e-sealing method and click "Seal".
Note: If you chose "USB stick" as your e-sealing method, you might need to install the necessary software first: https://www.dokobit.com/downloads
1.6. Once you have successfully e-sealed the document, in the 3rd section for added participants, you will see the text "Seal is valid" next to your company name.
How to enable cloud-based e-sealing for other users in the portal?
Note: You can order a cloud-based e-seal from us (more information can be found here). In order to do that please contact our sales team (sales@dokobit.com). Once you have ordered an e-seal, you can enable it for other users.
Note: Enabling cloud-based e-sealing for other users can only be done by the account owner.
2.0. Go to the settings by either clicking on the gear icon (located at the top, right side of the screen) or by clicking on your name to reveal the drop-down menu and then selecting "Settings".
Gear icon:
Drop-down menu:
2.1. Click on the tab "User management".
2.2. Choose the user for whom you'd like to enable the company e-seal and next to their information, click the button "Actions".
2.3. A drop-down menu will appear. Choose the option "Enable company e-seal".
2.4. A new window will pop up asking you to confirm this action. Click "Enable" to continue.
How to disable cloud-based e-sealing for other users in the portal?
Note: This action can only be performed by the account owner.
3.0. To disable the company e-seal for a user, start out by following the steps in this guide between 2.0. and 2.2. Then in the drop-down menu, choose the option "Disable company e-seal".
3.1. A pop-up window will appear asking you to confirm this action. Click "Disable" to continue.
