Becoming a Virginia Remote Online Notary can be accomplished quickly and effortlessly. Once you meet New York's traditional commission requirements, all it takes to register as an RON technology platform compliant with state laws is for registration to occur.

RON employs advanced identity proofing and verification technologies to accurately establish both signer and Notary identities, including credential analysis and knowledge-based authentication (KBA).
Identity verificationIdentity verification is an integral component of online notarization processes and should always start off by verifying signer's identity using various robust identity proofing methods and built-in security controls, such as liveness testing or facial matching that help protect against spoofing attacks.

Notaries must verify each signer's social security number and US credit history to authenticate them as valid signers. If this proves difficult, the notary must resort to other methods of identity verification in order to establish contact with them and confirm identity.

As part of their identity verification processes, states with RON laws require KBA (Knowledge-Based Authentication). At this stage of identity verification, signers answer questions that are verified against databases to add an extra layer of security and ensure they have come before an authentic notary notarizer.

Credential analysis

RON stands out from traditional notarization processes by using technology to verify signers' identities and ensure authenticity of signatures. This includes ID proofing and credential analysis software which checks government-issued ID validity; multi factor authentication; and dynamic knowledge based authentication (KBA).

KBA works by asking its signer multiple questions about their personal history and identity before prompting them to capture images of both sides of their government-issued ID for analysis of authenticity.
Use of these technologies helps eliminate human errors in notary processes and strengthens RON as a fraud-resistant mechanism. As opposed to other means of conducting notarial acts during COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, RON offers convenience for signers and notaries while increasing efficiency and security.

Knowledge-based authentication (KBA)

KBA differs from passwords in that it relies on private information known only to an authenticated user and thus protects online accounts and sensitive systems more securely.

KBA questions usually pertain to your personal details such as "What is your mother's maiden name? or Where were you born? Answers provided will then be compared against information stored in a database and ultimately your account approved or denied.

Static Knowledge-Based Authorization (KBA) involves pre-set questions for users to select during onboarding, while dynamic approaches generate questions based on both public and private sources such as social media profiles or credit data. Unfortunately, both static and dynamic approaches generate questions with answers that may be discovered through public records, hacked databases or breaches, reducing its security value significantly; experts do not consider KBA to be adequate on its own and often supplement it with stronger authentication methods, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Remote presentation

​At an online notarization, a signer appears via videoconference with the Notary. Utilizing RON technology, the Notary can quickly verify their identity and ensure the signer understands the document being signed without physically present at their physical presence.

For this, the RON software utilizes KBA and credential analysis to scan an ID, verifying for identifiers and security elements to ensure that notaries are handling an authentic document - similar to how paper notaries would perform their checks during notarization procedures.

Scott advised Notaries who intend to perform remote notarization (RON) transactions using remote notary software to seek training on it as well as familiarize themselves with state laws and best practices for notarizing documents remotely. She stressed the importance of soft skills like attention to detail and customer service when performing these transactions remotely, along with making sure your Errors & Omissions insurance covers RON transactions as well as having a quiet workspace with privacy, an adequate webcam, microphone, fast internet connection, reliable microphone connection for successful RON sessions.
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