Usability of Token-based and Remote Electronic Signatures: A User Experience Study

TL;DR

This study compares token-based and remote electronic signatures, revealing that remote signatures are more usable while token-based ones are perceived as more secure, highlighting usability-security trade-offs in digital signing.

Contribution

It provides an empirical user experience comparison of token-based and remote e-signatures, offering insights into usability and security perceptions.

Findings

Remote e-signatures are perceived as more usable due to minimal setup.

Token-based signatures are rated as more secure by users.

Preference trends favor remote signatures for convenience.

Abstract

As electronic signatures (e-signatures) become increasingly integral to secure digital transactions, understanding their usability and security perception from an end-user perspective has become crucial. This study empirically evaluates and compares two major e-signature systems -- token-based and remote signatures -- through a controlled user experience study with 20 participants. Participants completed tasks involving acquisition, installation, and document signing using both methods, followed by structured surveys and qualitative feedback. Statistical analyses revealed that remote e-signatures were perceived as significantly more usable than token-based ones, due to their minimal setup and platform-independent accessibility. In contrast, token-based signatures were rated as significantly more secure, highlighting users' trust in hardware-based protection. Although more participants preferred remote e-signatures for document signing, the preference did not reach statistical significance, indicating a trend toward favoring convenience in real-world scenarios. These findings underline the fundamental trade-off between usability and perceived security in digital signing systems. By bridging the gap between theoretical frameworks and real user experience, this study contributes valuable insights to the design and policymaking of qualified electronic signature solutions.