Protecting the Electronic Notary Journal from Tampering

As eNotarization becomes more common, Notaries and state officials are debating the best methods for electronic recordkeeping, including whether Notaries should keep both paper and electronic journals and how to protect an electronic one from possible tampering, the National Notary Association reports. "An electronic journal must be protected against tampering and unauthorized access. The information kept in a Notary's journal is vital as potential evidence to track fraud and to protect the Notary from accusations of negligence." An electronic journal must be protected from unauthorized access and alteration to ensure the integrity of the Notary's records. Similarly, if a Notary must make backup files of electronic journal entries, those backups must be protected against unauthorized access or copying to protect the sensitive information in the journal.