An electronic signature, by itself, is not a secure signature. Even the document it is attached to cannot be authenticated, because of the lack of security. Anyone can create an electronic document and type in an e-signature. For example, if someone were to fill out an electronic payroll request form, they could easily type in the name of the person who is responsible to approve the request, without any security in place.
How You Can Make an Electronic Signature Secure
You can make an electronic signature secure by converting it into a digital signature. A digital signature uses a digital certificate to encrypt the signature. This prevents employees from approving their own forms and requests. Instead, after they fill out the form, they submit it for approval. The person who approves the document just applies their digital signature. Since a digital signature is secure, it is comparable to signing a paper document and applying a seal or secondary notary signature.