Can this be signed electronically?

Yes. Electronic signatures are generally valid under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA where adopted. Ensure intent, consent, signer attribution, and reliable record retention to meet the four-part legal validity test.

Is notarization required?

Not ordinarily. Employee security acknowledgements typically do not require notarization. Use a notary only if a specific jurisdictional rule or an employer’s internal compliance policy demands it.

What if an employee refuses to sign?

Document the refusal, provide written notice of consequences, and follow disciplinary procedures consistent with company policy and applicable employment laws; consult HR and legal counsel for sensitive cases.

How do I correct a signed acknowledgement?

Do not alter a signed record. Instead, require the signer to complete a new acknowledgement or an amendment form and retain both versions to preserve an auditable history of changes.

Where should signed copies be stored?

Store in a secure, access-controlled repository (HRIS or document management) with encryption and an audit trail. Apply retention metadata and backup policies consistent with legal requirements.

How long must we keep acknowledgements?

Retention varies by context: follow federal baselines like IRS rules for tax matters and HIPAA for health records; consider keeping acknowledgements for the employment term plus multiple years as part of your retention policy.

Electronic Signature
Templates
HR
Employee Security Acknowledgement

Employee Security Acknowledgement

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

EMPLOYEE SECURITY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Personal Information

Full Legal Name Home Address

Phone

Email

Position Information

Job Title Department

Reporting Manager:

Anticipated Start Date:

Salary / Pay Rate

Employment History (Most Recent First)

Employer 1 — Company Name

Title:

From:

To:

Primary Responsibilities Reason for Leaving

Employer 2 — Company Name

Title:

From:

To:

Primary Responsibilities Reason for Leaving

Education

Highest Degree Institution

Graduation Date:

Professional References

Reference 1

Reference 2

Reference 3

Security Policies and Acknowledgements

I acknowledge receipt of the Company Security Policies and agree to comply with all requirements relating to physical security, electronic access controls, authentication credentials, password complexity and rotation, mobile device management, and data classification. I understand that failure to comply with security policies may subject me to disciplinary action up to and including termination and civil or criminal penalties where applicable.

I understand that access to confidential information is limited to persons with a legitimate business need and that I must protect such information at all times. I will not access, use, disclose, copy, alter or remove confidential information except as expressly authorized for performance of my assigned duties. Upon separation of employment or upon request, I will return all Company property and certifications of deletion or secure transfer of confidential information as required.

Select acknowledgements

I have received and reviewed the Company Security Policies and related operating procedures.

I understand and will follow password and authentication requirements, and I will not share my credentials.

I will immediately report suspected security incidents, breaches, or suspicious activity to the Security Team or appropriate authority.

I understand that Company systems and communications may be monitored and that I have no expectation of privacy for Company data on Company assets.

Background Checks and Authorization

I authorize the Company to obtain employment verification, background checks, education verification, credit checks where job-related, and criminal history records as permitted by law. I authorize previous employers and listed references to provide information concerning my employment and suitability for employment. I understand that adverse findings may affect my eligibility for employment or continued employment.

By checking the box below I provide my consent for these verifications and attest that the information I have provided in this form is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge.

I authorize background checks and verifications as described above.

Legal Statements

At-Will Employment: I understand that, unless otherwise set forth in a separate written agreement signed by an authorized representative of the Company, my employment is at-will. Either the Company or I may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice.

Equal Opportunity: The Company is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to protected characteristics as defined by applicable law.

Disciplinary Action and Remedies

I understand that violation of security policies, unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, or circumvention of technical controls may result in disciplinary action, termination of access, deduction of costs associated with recovery or remediation, and where appropriate, referral for civil or criminal prosecution. The Company reserves the right to seek injunctive relief and damages for breach of confidentiality or misuse of proprietary information.

Applicant Certification and Signature

I certify that all information provided on this form and in any accompanying documents is true, complete, and accurate. I understand that falsification, omission, or misrepresentation of information may result in denial of employment or disciplinary action, up to and including termination. I acknowledge that I have read, understand, and agree to comply with the foregoing policies and authorizations.

Employee Name:

Signature:

Date:

What an Employee Security Acknowledgement Is

An Employee Security Acknowledgement is a signed record in which an employee confirms awareness of, and agreement to follow, an employer's information security policies and procedures. It documents acceptance of responsibilities such as device handling, password rules, access permissions, incident reporting, and confidentiality obligations. Employers use the form to demonstrate notice and to support disciplinary, audit, and compliance processes. The acknowledgement may be required at hire, on role changes, or when policies are updated.

Why this acknowledgement matters for compliance and risk

A clear, signed acknowledgement helps establish employee awareness, supports enforcement of security rules, and creates an auditable record for regulators and auditors. It reduces ambiguity about responsibilities and strengthens the organization’s ability to respond to incidents.

Who typically completes an Employee Security Acknowledgement

Employers, HR teams, security managers, and compliance officers use this form to document employee commitments and to maintain consistent policy enforcement.

New hires and contractors: Complete at onboarding to confirm policy receipt and expectations.
Role changers and privileged users: Reaffirm access responsibilities when elevated permissions are granted.
All staff on policy updates: Re-sign when material security policies or procedures change.

Keeping a clear signer roster and dated acknowledgements supports audits, disciplinary processes, and legal defensibility.

How to complete the acknowledgement step by step

Follow these sequential steps to ensure a valid, auditable acknowledgement.

01

1. Read: Review the full security policy and related procedures.
02

2. Confirm: Confirm understanding of responsibilities and required behaviors.
03

3. Sign: Provide electronic or handwritten signature and date the form.
04

4. Record: Store the signed acknowledgement in the employee file or secure repository.

How to set up the acknowledgement as an online workflow

Configure the digital workflow to collect signatures, authenticate signers, and store records automatically.

Field	Configuration
Signer authentication	Email link with optional SMS code or SSO
Field types	Text, date, checkbox, signature block
Conditional fields	Show additional fields for privileged roles
Notifications	Auto notifications to HR and security on completion

Technical requirements for eSubmission and storage

Choose a platform that supports secure delivery, signer authentication, and tamper-evident storage.

File formats: PDF, DOCX supported
Authentication: Email, SMS, SSO, or KBA options
Integrations: HRIS, SSO, and cloud storage

Verify platform compliance capabilities (audit trail, encryption, access controls) to meet regulatory or internal policy requirements.

Where to send or file the completed acknowledgement

Decide a single authoritative destination for signed acknowledgements to maintain an auditable record and simplify retrieval.

HR record: Upload signed copy to HRIS or personnel folder
Security archive: Store a copy in the security team’s repository
Employee copy: Provide a signed PDF to the employee
Retention tag: Apply retention metadata for legal hold and disposal

Essential data to collect on the form

Employee name: Full legal name

Employee ID: Company HR identifier

Role / title: Official job title

Department: Business unit or team

Effective date: MM/DD/YYYY

Signature block: Signature and dated consent

Core components of a professional acknowledgement

A complete Employee Security Acknowledgement combines clear obligations, scope, confidentiality terms, reporting instructions, and enforcement statements.

Acknowledgement statement

A concise declaration that the employee has read, understands, and agrees to comply with the employer’s information security policies and associated procedures.

Scope and applicability

Specify which systems, data classes, and device types the policy covers, including remote work and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) situations.

Access and credentials

Outline obligations for password management, multi-factor authentication, and authorized access, with references to approval processes for elevated privileges.

Incident reporting

Provide clear, stepwise instructions for reporting security incidents, including contacts, timelines, and mandatory reporting obligations.

Consequences and discipline

State the disciplinary framework for violations, up to termination, and indicate potential legal or regulatory consequences for willful breaches.

Recordkeeping note

Note how the signed acknowledgement will be stored, who can access it, and how long it will be retained for audit purposes.

Typical timing and deadlines for issuing and re-collecting acknowledgements

Establish clear timing rules so acknowledgements remain current and legally useful.

At hire:

Provide and sign during onboarding before system access is granted.

Role change:

Require re-acknowledgement for promotions or new responsibilities.

Policy update:

Collect signatures when substantive policy changes are issued.

Access renewal:

Reaffirm on periodic access reviews or annually.

Exit process:

Record acknowledgement status as part of offboarding audit.

Common mistakes to avoid when preparing acknowledgements

Using vague language that fails to identify specific duties, leading to unclear enforcement and inconsistent expectations.
Collecting undated or unsigned copies, which undermines the chain of custody and weakens evidentiary value.
Storing signed copies in multiple uncontrolled locations without retention tags, complicating audits and legal holds.
Requiring handwritten signatures only, which delays processing and prevents automated audit trails for large workforces.

Potential consequences of inadequate or incorrect acknowledgements

Disciplinary action: Termination or reprimand

Regulatory exposure: Fines or enforcement actions

HIPAA risk: Breach penalties for PHI mishandling

Incident liability: Increased breach remediation costs

Audit findings: Negative auditor conclusions

Reputational harm: Customer and partner trust loss

eSignature vendor pricing and capability snapshot for this use case

Compare common vendor starting prices and core capabilities relevant to signing and storing Employee Security Acknowledgements.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial, no card required	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No

Real-world examples of how organizations use this acknowledgement

Two practical examples show common implementations and outcomes.

Optica Ventures (example)

The operations team standardized an electronic acknowledgement for all hires to centralize records and speed onboarding.

This cut processing delays.
As a result, HR maintained a searchable audit trail for compliance reviews and could quickly produce signed records during internal and external audits without manual filing or paper storage.

Fertility Centers of Illinois (example)

The clinic added a HIPAA-specific acknowledgement for staff handling PHI and trained personnel on incident reporting.

It improved reporting timelines.
The signed records supported internal investigations and satisfied external auditors by demonstrating documented employee acknowledgement of privacy obligations and a retained audit trail.

Frequently asked questions about Employee Security Acknowledgements

Answers to common implementation and legal questions about collecting and storing signed acknowledgements.

Need help? Contact support

Can this be signed electronically?
Yes. Electronic signatures are generally valid under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA where adopted. Ensure intent, consent, signer attribution, and reliable record retention to meet the four-part legal validity test.
Is notarization required?
Not ordinarily. Employee security acknowledgements typically do not require notarization. Use a notary only if a specific jurisdictional rule or an employer’s internal compliance policy demands it.
What if an employee refuses to sign?
Document the refusal, provide written notice of consequences, and follow disciplinary procedures consistent with company policy and applicable employment laws; consult HR and legal counsel for sensitive cases.
How do I correct a signed acknowledgement?
Do not alter a signed record. Instead, require the signer to complete a new acknowledgement or an amendment form and retain both versions to preserve an auditable history of changes.
Where should signed copies be stored?
Store in a secure, access-controlled repository (HRIS or document management) with encryption and an audit trail. Apply retention metadata and backup policies consistent with legal requirements.
How long must we keep acknowledgements?
Retention varies by context: follow federal baselines like IRS rules for tax matters and HIPAA for health records; consider keeping acknowledgements for the employment term plus multiple years as part of your retention policy.

be ready to get more

Join over 28 million airSlate SignNow users

Sign Now