www.eljurista.eu (original article in Spanish) // 3rd of September 2018
by Facundo Rojo Gil / founder and CEO de vintegrisTECH
“What’s in a name?” Wondered a famous character of Shakespeare in one of his most famous works, thus questioning the idea that identity has to be associated with a specific word. Maybe, from a literary point of view, this split is possible, but from a purely technological perspective, things are very different.
Further, is that the digital identity is linked intrinsically to the concept of the digital certificate, which functions as a passport, associating a series of unique and non-transferable data to a user or device. That is, it is impossible to separate the name (the certificate, in this case) from the digital identity since one is a consequence of the other.
As described by the Real Casa de la Moneda (Royal Spanish Mint), the digital certificate is an electronic certification that links the subscriber with some signature verification data and confirms their identity. Therefore, it is a digital document that contains a series of data, such as the expiration date thereof, a copy of the public key and the digital signature of the Certification Authority (CA) that has issued it – which will allow to its bearer to identify and exchange information with other people and organizations in a secure manner, with a guarantee of privacy and with legal validity
Thousands of certificates are generated every day around the world. It is a type of certification that is expanding very quickly, which sometimes raises doubts about whether this could create a chaotic situation. It is increasingly common to hear these questions: How is a certificate validated in each country? What legal recognition do digital identities have from one state to another?
eIDAS enters the scene
In the case of the European Union, and to create a common scenario regarding digital identity throughout the territory, on July 1, 2016, Regulation (EU) No. 910/2014, better known as eIDAS, came into force.
One of the application areas of eIDAS is the digital signature. Before its approval, Directive 1999/93 / EC was applied, with various results: each member state interpreted it in its way. The lack of agreement, or of a common regulation, in such a vast territory generated problems in the face of the rejection of a digital signature by a country that had not been its issuer.
In this sense, eIDAS has meant a significant advance for the EU. It has provided citizens and companies with the ideal framework to regulate digital identities in all member states. A structure that has facilitated both, bureaucratic business procedures and legal administrative procedures, in an agile manner with full legal recognition.
Legaltech and eIDAS
Surely someone is thinking, Legaltech? What is that? Well, this term, increasingly recognized in our country, encompasses technologies that provide legal and legal services. A trend that grows at breakneck speed and that is changing the landscape of law firms and legal departments.
With the entry into force of eIDAS and the current digital transformation, legaltech technologies have become essential and even almost mandatory in law firms and legal departments of companies. Lawyers, prosecutors, magistrates, notaries, and advisers, among others, increasingly use these solutions, which allow them to streamline processes and perform their work with guarantees of legal compliance and security.
Legal technologies do not, therefore, mean the disappearance of the figure of the professional, as many fear. On the contrary, they allow you to save time and costs by optimizing resources, thus streamlining many legal processes. Of course, the training in these new technologies will be a maxim for future jurists and advisors to apply efficiency to their daily work, getting the most out of them.
Of course, we can not talk about legaltech without also doing it digitally. A crucial and necessary area to solve various needs that currently affect the legal sector.
Efficient management of digital identity within the framework of eIDAS
Technology makes society change at high speed, and it is necessary to adapt to these transformations. The legal sector can not fall behind, and for this reason, they are taking particularly important legaltech: the technologies that provide legal services are here to stay. In the eIDAS framework, they also gain prominence, since some solutions allow the management of digital identity and the multiple applications that digital certificates can have for professionals in the legal field, which significantly speeds up processes and represents a significant cost and time-saving.
The digitization of the legal sector has already begun, and from vintegrisTECH, we will continue innovating to offer the most advanced technologies and to do our bit to contribute to this transformation process.
- See the same article published by Iuris & Lex 12th of October 2018
- See the same article published by Red Seguridad Third Trimester 2018
