Can electronic signatures (seals) be used in the laboratory?

Thread Content

1 Conclusion: Laboratories may use electronic signatures or seals, which have the same validity as handwritten signatures. According to the Electronic Signatures Law of the People’s Republic of China: 1. A reliable electronic signature has the same legal validity as a handwritten signature or seal. 2. A data message that can tangibly represent the contained content and allow for the retrieval of such data at any time is considered to meet the written form requirements prescribed by laws and regulations. 2. Format requirements: A data message that meets the following conditions is considered to satisfy the format requirements for original documents as stipulated by laws and regulations: (1) It is capable of effectively representing the content contained therein and can be retrieved and used at any time ； (2) It can reliably ensure that the content remains complete and unaltered from the time of its final creation. Adding endorsements to a data message, as well as any changes in form that occur during data exchange, storage, and display, do not affect the integrity of the data message. 3 Precautions for Electronic Signatures (Seals) (1) When the data used to create an electronic signature is applied to an electronic signature (seal), it becomes the exclusive property of the person who created the electronic signature ； At the time of signing, the electronic signature creation data is under the control of only the electronic signer. (2) Any changes made to the electronic signature (seal) after signing can be detected ； Any changes to the content and format of the electronic message after signing can be detected. (3) The electronic signature should be embedded in the report/certificate generation environment as an integrated application component, offering ease of use and a user-friendly interface. The operation-generated digital signature and comments are embedded in the document as objects, making them easy to understand. It should also support multiple signatures by multiple people, under complete control of the signers. (4) The digital certificates used for digital signatures can be stored in hardware devices such as smart cards and USB tokens, which possess advantages such as high security and ease of portability. (5) In addition to ensuring its security from a technical standpoint, due to the convenience of using electronic signatures, it is more common for staff members to borrow or misuse them. Therefore, the laboratory must establish strict management measures to prevent the misuse or borrowing of electronic signatures