What is the first thing that comes to mind when we think of a university? Students throwing their mortarboards in the air in a gesture of celebration? A building of neoclassical style with a name that is illustrious? Hours of study invested in the library?
Or maybe the number of documents it requires? Admissions, certificates, diplomas, applications for scholarships, contracts and agreements of practices … the truth is that paperwork seems to be an inevitable part of the day to day of universities.
But this is changing.
We have already said on more than one occasion that the Internet and the wide adoption of mobile technology have meant more opportunities for organizations, but also more headaches in terms of security and confidentiality of information. Of course, the education sector has not been left behind and has welcomed these innovations with open arms, including the digital signature. This is allowing to reduce the use of paper considerably while complying with various regulations that regulate its use.
But what does it mean to use a digital signature, and to what extent does it contribute to the security of information?
Towards the paperless university
Is a paperless university possible? So far, it is a concept that sounds like a utopia, but the truth is that educational institutions are looking for new technologies and software that will reduce their dependence on paper, to streamline various procedures and reduce costs. Digital signatures help increase productivity and save time spent on tedious administrative procedures. However, its benefits do not end here: also, they grant security to the information contained in the documents, guaranteeing their confidentiality.
Therefore, it is not surprising that it is being implemented in more and more educational institutions, and that thanks to them the dependence on paper has been reduced considerably.
Transforming boundaries into educational opportunities: eIDAS and schools
Given the number of documents and data handled by universities and other educational institutions daily, it is imperative to have an adequate digital signature, which offers a high level of security and legal compliance.
Through the use of a digital signature with compliance to rules such as eIDAS, educational institutions can effortlessly facilitate the administrative processes of enrolling students from different countries.
The eIDAS regulation, which came into force in 2014, marks a before and after for organizations that use electronic or digital signatures. This legal framework establishes the recognition of the digital signature in any European Union member country, thus avoiding its rejection and contributing to the achievement of a Single Digital Market.
Of course, educational institutions are no strangers to these rules, so they have to consider several aspects when choosing a digital signature.
It must be remembered that not all electronic signatures have the same value according to the eIDAS regulation: there are simple, advanced and qualified. The qualified electronic signatures (based on qualified digital certificates, issued by recognized Certification Authorities), are those that allow the identification of the signer and are linked to the signed data. In addition, they have the legal equivalence of the traditional “wet signature”.
nebulaSUITE qualified digital signature for education
nebulaSUITE offers digital signature through its qualified digital certificates (issued through its own Certification Authority), as well as handwritten signature; In both cases, the encryption allows to guarantee the confidentiality of the information contained in the document and to report any changes that may be made to it.
Both education sector employees and students can benefit from being able to sign various documents with maximum legal guarantee, anywhere, anytime, and always in compliance with regulations such as eIDAS in the European Union.
As well, the digital signature of nebulaSUITE also defines complex custom workflows to streamline administrative procedures for staff and students.
The qualified signature of nebulaSUITE allows:
- Facilitate the enrolment of potential students, regardless of their geographical dispersion.
- Reduce the waiting time and improve the satisfaction of students and teachers.
- Avoid fraud and identity theft in relation to diplomas and certificates, and damages to the reputation of the institution that could result from these threats.
- Sign effortlessly and comply with the necessary requirements for each type of document.
- Keep user data and electronic devices secure through encryption, thereby reinforcing confidence.
Benefits of using a nebulaSUITE qualified digital signature
Students can complete paperwork quickly, signing documents from their computers or mobile devices, to accelerate the registration process or the application for scholarships.
Universities and other educational establishments, in turn, can issue various documents more agile considering that:
- Comply with rules and regulations such as eIDAS.
- Avoid cases of fraud and identity theft.
- Guarantee the confidentiality of information and personal data.
All of this significantly reducing paper expenditure, improving the organization of documents and protecting the environment.
In this way, more time can be devoted to what really matters: studying in the case of students and training future professionals in the case of universities and educational establishments.
Do you want to know more?
nebulaSUITE offers much more than qualified digital signatures.
If you want to know in depth what this all in one digital identity solution can do for education sector organization that are in full digital transformation, download our brief.
Would you prefer a demo? No problem: ask for one here and see for yourself what nebulaSUITE has to offer.
