Sign Documents Digitally

If you've given your fax machine the old heave-ho, but you want an extra layer of protection for the contracts you send through the electronic ether, consider using a digital signature.

For starters, you'll need to install a Digital ID-which you can purchase from Verisign for $19.95 per year, in your Web browser or e-mail software-so recipients of your e-mail can rest assured that it really was sent by you. A Digital ID also encrypts e-mail contents and attachments, protecting them from being read by online intruders-only the intended recipient can decrypt them.

Then, use the Self-Sign plug-in in Adobe Acrobat to create a digital version of your signature (or company logo) that detects any alterations to the signature's appearance or location. To bid unwieldy paper shuffling adieu, simply Insert your digital signature every time a PDF document requires your authenticated stamp of approval.

Difficulty level: Easy