Abstract: A system and method for digital signature captures an electronic rendition of a user's handwritten signature, initials or other writing on a digitizer tablet interfaced with a personal computer, workstation or other computing device. A software plug-in incorporates the signature into the electronic document. The software then hashes the signed document to create a message digest of the signed document which is then encrypted using the user's private key. The recipient of the signed document can authenticate the sender's digital signature by recreating the hash and by decrypting the encrypted hash using the sender's public key. If the locally recreated hash matches the decrypted hash, then the digital signature is authenticated.