Automatic signature verification in the mobile cloud scenario: survey and way ahead

On-line signature verification is typically carried out with the use of digitizing tablets specifically designed for the aim. So far, stand-alone systems have been mainly inspected, but the current distributed/cloud scenario and the amount of mobile devices in everyday life is calling for a new challenge. Within this scenario, signatures are acquired around the world with different kinds of devices and processed on multiple platforms in order to be veri-fied. Through the paper, the different phases of the signature ver-ification process in the new scenario are presented and the most valuable results are discussed considering the following aspects: accessibility and usability, interoperability, security and perfor-mance. Achievements as well as weakness are focused to high-light promising directions for further research and technology development.