Security and governance policies in electronic signature systems
Policy-informed e-signature processing. An electronic signature system (ESS) is interfaced to a content management system (CMS) that stores instances of shared files and coordinates policy-informed interactions with the shared files. Upon detection of an occurrence of an e-signature request event, electronic signature processing is carried out in a manner that observes one or more governance policies that control handling of shared files. When responding to an e-signature request event, the CMS observes the governance policies by issuing an electronic query to a database of parameters, wherein the parameters define metes and bounds of the governance policies. Upon determination that at least some of the governance policies at least potentially apply to the e-signature processing, the ESS and/or the CMS modifies metadata pertaining to one or more workflow objects that are associated with a computer-implemented workflow. The workflow may terminate or be terminated based upon the one or more governance policies.
1. A method for e-signature processing comprising:
interfacing an electronic signature system (ESS) to a content management system (CMS) that stores instances of content objects and coordinates user interactions with the content objects, the user interactions being by a plurality of CMS users;
detecting occurrence of an e-signature request event associated with a content object, wherein at least one signatory corresponds to at least one of the plurality of CMS users; and
responding to the e-signature request event by:
issuing an electronic query to a database of parameters, wherein the database stores a plurality of parameter values that define a set of governance policies, and wherein at least some of the plurality of parameters are selected based on a determination that at least some of the governance policies apply to e-signature processing; and
modifying metadata pertaining to the content object that is associated with a workflow, wherein the metadata is modified to set permissions for the content object to be used for the e-signature processing, a workflow trigger for the workflow is generated for the e-signature processing, and the workflow trigger is based upon the determination that at least some of the set of governance policies apply to e-signature processing.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one governance policy of the set of governance policies specifies a security classification.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising terminating at least a portion of the e-signature processing when a security classification value of a particular content object of the CMS is higher than a security clearance of a signatory.
4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining which ones of a plurality of signatories are registered users of the CMS.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising terminating at least a portion of the e-signature processing when a participant specified in the e-signature request event is not one of the registered users of the CMS.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein a risk score is calculated based on (1) the at least some of the governance policies, (2) a security classification value of file, or (3) a security clearance level of one or more of the signatories.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising invoking further authentication of a signatory's identity through use of a multi-factor authentication regime.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a first factor of the multi-factor authentication regime comprises confirmation of the signatory's identity in the CMS, and a second factor of the multi-factor authentication regime comprises confirmation of the signatory's response to a challenge on a device of record in the CMS.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising invoking a process to establish a retention period designation.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising applying the retention period designation to one or more content objects of the content management system.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying one or more policy conflicts wherein the one or more policy conflicts are identified by comparing parameters of a new policy with respect to parameters of previously stored policies.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein a check for a policy conflict is carried out upon occurrence of an attempt to introduce the new policy.
13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform a set of acts for e-signature processing the set of acts comprising:
interfacing an electronic signature system (ESS) to a content management system (CMS) that stores instances of content objects and coordinates user interactions with the content objects, the user interactions being by a plurality of CMS users;
detecting occurrence of an e-signature request event associated with a content object, wherein at least one signatory corresponds to at least one of the plurality of CMS users; and
responding to the e-signature request event by:
issuing an electronic query to a database of parameters, wherein the database stores a plurality of parameter values that define a set of governance policies, and wherein at least some of the plurality of parameters are selected based on a determination that at least some of the governance policies apply to e-signature processing; and
modifying metadata pertaining to the content object that is associated with a workflow, wherein the metadata is modified to set permissions for the content object to be used for the e-signature processing, occurrence of a workflow trigger for the workflow is generated for the e-signature processing, and the workflow trigger is based upon the determination that at least some of the set of governance policies apply to the e-signature processing.
14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein at least one governance policy of the set of governance policies specifies a security classification.
15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform acts of terminating at least a portion of the e-signature processing when a security classification value of a particular content object of the CMS is higher than a security clearance of a signatory.
16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform acts of determining which ones of a plurality of signatories are registered users of the CMS.
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform acts of terminating at least a portion of the e-signature processing when a participant specified in the e-signature request event is not one of the registered users of the CMS.
18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein a risk score is calculated based on (1) the at least some of the governance policies, (2) a security classification value of file, or (3) a security clearance level of one or more of the signatories.
19. A system for e-signature processing comprising:
a storage medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions; and
one or more processors that execute the sequence of instructions to cause the one or more processors to perform a set of acts, the set of acts comprising,
interfacing an electronic signature system (ESS) to a content management system (CMS) that stores instances of content objects and coordinates user interactions with the content objects, the user interactions being by a plurality of CMS users;
detecting occurrence of an e-signature request event associated with a content object, wherein at least one signatory corresponds to at least one of the plurality of CMS users; and
responding to the e-signature request event by:
issuing an electronic query to a database of parameters, wherein the database stores a plurality of parameter values that define a set of governance policies, and wherein at least some of the plurality of parameters are selected based on a determination that at least some of the governance policies apply to e-signature processing; and
modifying metadata pertaining to the content object that is associated with a workflow, wherein the metadata is modified to set permissions for the content object to be used for the e-signature processing, a workflow trigger for the workflow is generated for the e-signature processing, and the workflow trigger is based upon the determination that at least some of the set of governance policies apply to the e-signature processing.
20. The system of claim 19 wherein at least one governance policy of the set of governance policies specifies a security classification.