Adobe Acrobat Sign's FedRAMP moderate certification further validates our trusted relationship with the government

With the recent launch of Adobe Acrobat Sign for Government, a FedRAMP Moderate authorized solution, government departments and agencies have a new, security-enhanced tool for digital document workflows and electronic signatures.

If you take a step back and think about the purpose of FedRAMP, the program was established to build “trusted relationships between Executive departments and agencies and cloud service providers (CSPs).” The federal government needed a standardized approach to identify and assess CSPs they could trust to deliver innovative and secure cloud products and solutions.

Although Adobe Acrobat Sign has been FedRAMP authorized for several years now, the new FedRAMP Moderate certification adds an additional layer of security to help government customers leverage digital document workflows and electronic signatures for some of their most mission critical and sensitive lines of business.

What is a signature worth?

Not all electronic signatures are created equally. Certain electronic signature products offer basic “click-to-sign” features that are simple to implement but do not use digital certificates and are not legally binding. Adobe Acrobat Sign, by contrast, offers a full spectrum of electronic signature capabilities, from basic functionality to the most advanced functionality that provides proof of the integrity and origin of each individual’s digital signature.

If you think about the significance of signatures in the government context, they are typically required for documenting decisions. Signatures may be in the form of an approval for the terms of a loan, concurrence on a memo, or an agreement to become an employee of a government agency. There may even be a signature denoting non-concurrence on an issue. Signatures are typically required for the most important decisions — decisions that are legally binding or of great importance to an organization. Government leaders typically provide signatures when documentary evidence is considered beneficial. (There are numerous government department and agency policies detailing requirements for signing documents, such as this policy from the Government Publishing Office).

In the past, many important decisions in government were ratified as physical signatures on paper. As newer software products became available on the market, government departments and agencies began leveraging desktop-based, electronic signature solutions (which lacked workflow and tracking), although adoption was often inconsistent. Today, with tools such as the FedRAMP Moderate version of Adobe Acrobat Sign, government departments and agencies can leverage a workflow-driven electronic signature solution that not only provides legally binding digital signatures, but also enables organizations to concurrently streamline their digital document workflows. Additionally, signed documents can be readily stored in a repository for accountability purposes, while maintaining a strong audit trail and reporting capabilities.

One of the most cited internal control deficiencies in government is a lack of formally documented approvals, a challenge that Adobe Acrobat Sign can readily mitigate. Why take the risk that your most important decisions may not be effectively documented? With Adobe Acrobat Sign you can maintain a documented audit trail for decision-making, which includes the verifiable identity of the decision-maker.

Digital modernization in government does not have to be hard

Implementing new technologies in the government can be tricky. Many government departments and agencies have embarked in overly ambitious IT modernization programs that have run into cost overruns, schedule delays, and quality issues. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Government leaders can think big, develop transformational roadmaps for modernizing lines of business, while also delivering results incrementally and predictably. This is where products like Adobe Acrobat Sign really shine.

Adobe Acrobat Sign is a straightforward product to implement that can significantly and quickly streamline the many manual and paper-driven business processes in government. With its pre-built integrations with Microsoft 365, for example, Adobe Acrobat Sign can seamlessly support the applications and workflows departments and agencies are already using. Unlike many government IT modernization programs that unfortunately can take years to bear fruit, users of Adobe Acrobat Sign can see significant benefits in a fraction of that time.

Adobe is thrilled to be considered a trusted CSP and is committed to supporting the mission of government. With the new FedRAMP Moderate certification for Adobe Acrobat Sign, government leaders have a new tool in their toolbox for driving organizational change, while not sacrificing on security and compliance.

Learn more about how Adobe can help support your organization here infographic or contact your Adobe representative.