Custom Time Stamp Providers - New

Configure an approved Time Stamping Authority for digital signature workflows.

Adobe Acrobat Sign applies time stamps to digital signatures to help establish when an agreement was signed and support long-term validation. You can configure Acrobat Sign to use an approved third-party Time Stamping Authority instead of the default Adobe-authorized service at the account level, or at the group level when different groups require different timestamp providers. Groups without a group-level configuration inherit the account-level setting.

Configuration

Availability

• Acrobat Sign Solutions: Supported
• Acrobat Sign for Government: Supported
• Acrobat Standard: Not supported
• Acrobat Pro: Not supported

Configuration scope

Account and group.

• Group-level settings override account-level settings.

Default value

Enabled after Adobe AI terms are accepted.

Time Stamps and Digital Signature Compliance

Time stamps are critical in meeting US and EU digital signature compliance standards, using PADes and eIDAS, respectively. Regulations require that a digital signature securely establishes the signer's identity and the time of signing, embedding this information into the document at the time of signature.

How Time Stamps Work

• A time stamp locks the signer's identity and the document to ensure security and compliance.
• Identity can be verified through certificates, logins, or ID cards, but the time stamp must come from a trusted Time Stamping Authority.
• TSAs are third-party providers that offer timestamping services via Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).
• Adobe configures time stamps at the application, shard, and account levels.

Customizing a Time Stamping Authority (TSA)

• Adobe provides a TSA for all transactions, ensuring compliance for eIDAS customers in EMEA and other global users.
• Organizations with an existing TSA can configure Acrobat Sign to use their licensed TSA instead of Adobe's default provider.
• The Customizable Time Stamp feature allows companies to integrate their own TSA for digitally signed documents.

Ensuring Long-Term Validity (LTV)

• The timestamp ensures the signed agreement's Long-Term Validity by locking both the signature and document.
• Personal signing certificates can expire, but an LTV time stamp extends the document's validity without altering the signature's validity.
• This guarantees that the signature was valid at the time of signing and remains valid beyond the lifespan of the signer's certificate.

Customizing a Time Stamping Authority 

• Adobe provides a TSA for all transactions, ensuring compliance for eIDAS customers in EMEA and other global users.
• Organizations with an existing TSA can configure Acrobat Sign to use their licensed TSA instead of Adobe's default provider.
• The Customizable Time Stamp feature allows companies to integrate their own TSA for digitally signed documents.

Approved Time Stamp Providers

Below is a list of pre-approved TSA providers. Any vendor not listed must be reviewed and approved by Acrobat Sign engineering before integration with the Adobe Acrobat Sign service.

How it’s used

Digital signatures automatically include time stamps on agreements. Once the service is set up for the account, no further action is needed.

Approved Time Stamp Providers

Below is the list of pre-qualified time stamp providers:

• Adobe Qualified Timestamp
• Amano Timestamp Service 
• DigiCert Europe Qualified Timestamp (audited under eIDAS)
• DigiCert Switzerland Qualified Timestamp (audited under ZertES)
• DigiCert Timestamp for Adobe
• GlobalSign Timestamp AATL
• InfoCert Qualified TSA
• Intesi Group
• Namirial Qualified TSA
• Notarius Timestamp AATL
• Seiko Timestamp Service
• Trans Sped Qualified TSA

Enabling a Third-Party Time Stamp Provider

If you want to use a pre-qualified TSA for your account, contact Acrobat Sign Support and specify your preferred provider.

Configuring a Custom Time Stamp Provider

For providers not on the pre-qualified list, additional time is required for engineering verification to ensure compatibility. This process may take a few days.

To begin, contact Acrobat Sign Support and provide:

• The name of the service provider.
• The end-point URL for the service.

Once Support configures the end-point for your account, the Time Stamp Settings menu item will become available in your administrator's Account Settings menu.

Updating Credentials

To change the credentials for the configuration:

1. Select the Edit button.
2. The Time Stamp Login Configuration overlay will appear.
3. Enter the new credentials as prompted.
4. Save the changes to update the configuration.

Deleting Credentials

To remove credentials from the system:

1. Select the Delete button.
2. Confirm the deletion when prompted.
3. Select Yes to complete the process. The credentials will be permanently removed.

Configure an approved Time Stamping Authority for digital signature workflows.

Adobe Acrobat Sign applies time stamps to digital signatures to help establish when an agreement was signed and support long-term validation. You can configure Acrobat Sign to use an approved third-party Time Stamping Authority instead of the default Adobe-authorized service at the account level, or at the group level when different groups require different timestamp providers. Groups without a group-level configuration inherit the account-level setting.

Configuration

Availability

• Acrobat Sign Solutions: Supported
• Acrobat Sign for Government: Supported
• Acrobat Standard: Not supported
• Acrobat Pro: Not supported

Configuration scope

Account and group.

• Group-level settings override account-level settings.

Default value

Enabled after Adobe AI terms are accepted.

Time Stamps and Digital Signature Compliance

Time stamps are critical in meeting US and EU digital signature compliance standards, using PADes and eIDAS, respectively. Regulations require that a digital signature securely establishes the signer's identity and the time of signing, embedding this information into the document at the time of signature.

How Time Stamps Work

• A time stamp locks the signer's identity and the document to ensure security and compliance.
• Identity can be verified through certificates, logins, or ID cards, but the time stamp must come from a trusted Time Stamping Authority.
• TSAs are third-party providers that offer timestamping services via Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).
• Adobe configures time stamps at the application, shard, and account levels.

Customizing a Time Stamping Authority (TSA)

• Adobe provides a TSA for all transactions, ensuring compliance for eIDAS customers in EMEA and other global users.
• Organizations with an existing TSA can configure Acrobat Sign to use their licensed TSA instead of Adobe's default provider.
• The Customizable Time Stamp feature allows companies to integrate their own TSA for digitally signed documents.

Ensuring Long-Term Validity (LTV)

• The timestamp ensures the signed agreement's Long-Term Validity by locking both the signature and document.
• Personal signing certificates can expire, but an LTV time stamp extends the document's validity without altering the signature's validity.
• This guarantees that the signature was valid at the time of signing and remains valid beyond the lifespan of the signer's certificate.

Customizing a Time Stamping Authority 

• Adobe provides a TSA for all transactions, ensuring compliance for eIDAS customers in EMEA and other global users.
• Organizations with an existing TSA can configure Acrobat Sign to use their licensed TSA instead of Adobe's default provider.
• The Customizable Time Stamp feature allows companies to integrate their own TSA for digitally signed documents.

Approved Time Stamp Providers

Below is a list of pre-approved TSA providers. Any vendor not listed must be reviewed and approved by Acrobat Sign engineering before integration with the Adobe Acrobat Sign service.

How it’s used

Digital signatures automatically include time stamps on agreements. Once the service is set up for the account, no further action is needed.

Approved Time Stamp Providers

Below is the list of pre-qualified time stamp providers:

• Adobe Qualified Timestamp
• Amano Timestamp Service 
• DigiCert Europe Qualified Timestamp (audited under eIDAS)
• DigiCert Switzerland Qualified Timestamp (audited under ZertES)
• DigiCert Timestamp for Adobe
• GlobalSign Timestamp AATL
• InfoCert Qualified TSA
• Intesi Group
• Namirial Qualified TSA
• Notarius Timestamp AATL
• Seiko Timestamp Service
• Trans Sped Qualified TSA

Enabling a Third-Party Time Stamp Provider

If you want to use a pre-qualified TSA for your account, contact Acrobat Sign Support and specify your preferred provider.

Configuring a Custom Time Stamp Provider

For providers not on the pre-qualified list, additional time is required for engineering verification to ensure compatibility. This process may take a few days.

To begin, contact Acrobat Sign Support and provide:

• The name of the service provider.
• The end-point URL for the service.

Once Support configures the end-point for your account, the Time Stamp Settings menu item will become available in your administrator's Account Settings menu.

Updating Credentials

To change the credentials for the configuration:

1. Select the Edit button.
2. The Time Stamp Login Configuration overlay will appear.
3. Enter the new credentials as prompted.
4. Save the changes to update the configuration.

Deleting Credentials

To remove credentials from the system:

1. Select the Delete button.
2. Confirm the deletion when prompted.
3. Select Yes to complete the process. The credentials will be permanently removed.