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 coexist 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.