At Annature, every action taken on an envelope—whether it’s a document being sent, viewed, signed, or completed—is captured in a detailed, timestamped event log. To protect the integrity of these records, we apply a blockchain-inspired approach to ensure the history of an envelope cannot be tampered with, even by someone with privileged system access.
How it works
Each envelope follows a lifecycle where events are recorded sequentially: creation, recipient views, field completions, digital signatures, and finalisation. These events are stored in our database with precise metadata about the action, the actor, and the time it occurred.
To guarantee the authenticity and immutability of this event log, we apply a cryptographic checksum (hash) to every individual event. But we go further: each event’s checksum includes the checksum of the event before it. This creates a cryptographically linked chain of events—a tamper-evident structure inspired by the principles of blockchain.
This design ensures that:
- Each event is mathematically tied to its predecessor
- Any alteration—no matter how small—breaks the chain, alerting us immediately
- The full audit trail can be independently verified to ensure the record is intact and untampered
Securing envelope versions
As envelopes progress through multi-party signing workflows, multiple versions of the document are created:
- The original version
- A new version after each signer completes their part
Each of these is recorded and fingerprinted using the same cryptographic technique. This ensures:
- Every document version reflects a true, unaltered step in the signing lifecycle
- Any discrepancies or tampering attempts are easily detectable
- The entire envelope journey—from first send to final signature—is cryptographically verifiable
Why this matters
In traditional systems, database records can be modified without trace by users with high-level access—posing a significant risk to the integrity of legally binding transactions.
At Annature, we mitigate this risk by treating every envelope’s event log as a cryptographic chain of trust. It’s not just about logging events—it’s about guaranteeing they cannot be changed without detection.
This approach provides the transparency and trustworthiness expected from a digital signature provider and offers peace of mind to our customers in regulated industries such as accounting, legal, and financial services.
Key benefits
- Immutable audit trails — No single event can be edited or removed without invalidating the entire chain
- Tamper-evidence — Any change attempt is immediately detectable
- Chain of custody — Every document version and signature is secured and traceable
- Enterprise-grade integrity — Designed to exceed compliance and audit expectations