Media-Break Resistant eSignatures in eGovernment: An Austrian Experience

Governments and public administrations produce documents – laws, orders, permits, notifications, etc. With the transition from traditional paper-based administration to eGovernment that we have seen in the last decade, authentic electronic documents gain importance. Electronic signatures promise to be a tool of choice. However, given the choice of access channels – electronic or conventional – public administrations offer, eDocuments will have to co-exist with traditional paper documents for several years, if not for decades. In this paper we discuss the Austrian practical experience gained with eSignatures and eDocuments in eGovernment.