1. Is this relevant to me?

Yes.

It changes the format of PDFs generated during the signing process, and as such, everyone is impacted. 

2. What is it?

PAdES (PDF Advanced Electronic Signatures) is a set of restrictions and extensions to the PDF format, making it suitable for advanced electronic signatures. They are defined by ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) and allow documents to be EU compliant and shareable across EU borders.

3. What benefits does it bring?

Using the PAdES standard ensures that electronic signatures will remain valid for longer periods of time, even if in the meantime, the used cryptographic algorithms were broken or compromised. As a result of this, all the digitally signed documents can now be archived for many years. At any given time, it is possible to prove that the signature was valid (at the time of a document being signed) through a concept referred to as Long-Term Archivable (LTA). Verified's signature methods are all LT enabled, which means they verify the validity of a signature at the time of signing using the PAdES standard.

4. The PAdES file structure

You can think of PAdES as a bundle of all the information related to the signing process, stored as individual attachments inside the PDF document itself, consisting of:

• The original document
  Intended for validation, to compare the original PDF to the signed one
  
  
• The signature information (one file per signature)
  The format and content of these files vary based on the signing method, and they include the proof of signature received from:
  • the eID providers (when signing with eID based methods such as BankID)
  • the Verified platform (for eSign methods which include email, SMS and touch sign)
    
    
• Transaction log
  A detailed log of all the events generated during the course of the signing process

An example of a signed document and its attachments, viewed inside Adobe Acrobat

5. FAQ

How can I validate it?

To make sure that the signed PDF respects the PAdES standard, you can follow this guide.

Does the PAdes PDFs have a larger file size?

Yes. Since the signed PDF also includes the original document, it will have a larger file size.

What other changes does the PAdes format mean?

In addition to the aforementioned changes, the format changes the name of the signed document by adding a ".pades" suffix. For example, if the user uploads a file called contract-HR15.pdf, the signed document will be called contract-HR15.pades.pdf

Can I use an already signed PDF in a new transaction?

No, an already signed PDF will not work in a new signing process via Verified