On the recordJuly 15, 1998
Encryption technology is not only a critical tool for protecting the confidentiality of our online communications and the privacy of our stored electronic information, it is also the building block for digital signatures. The future of electronic commerce requires that parties conducting business online be able to trust the authenticity of the contracts they enter and that the parties with whom they are dealing are who they say they are. In fact, a number of States, including my own State of Vermont, are making progress on crafting the rules for digital signatures and online commercial transactions.
Source
govinfo.gov
