What are digital certificates?
Digital certificates are the equivalent of a driver’s license, a marriage license, or any other form of identity. The only difference is that a digital certificate is used in conjunction with a public key encryption system. Digital certificates are electronic files that simply work as an online passport. Digital certificates are issued by a third party known as a Certification Authority such as VeriSign or Thawte. These third party certificate authorities have the responsibility to confirm the identity of the certificate holder as well as provide assurance to the website visitors that the website is one that is trustworthy and capable of serving them in a trustworthy manner. Digital certificates have two basic functions. The first is to certify that the people, the website, and the network resources such as servers and routers are reliable sources, in other words, who or what they claim to be. The second function is to provide protection for the data exchanged from the visitor and the
Digital certificates are the digital equivalent (i.e. electronic format) of physical or paper certificates. Examples of physical certificates are driver’s licenses, passports or membership cards. Certificates serve as identity of an individual for a certain purpose, e.g. a driver’s license identifies someone who can legally drive in a particular country. Likewise, a digital certificate can be presented electronically to prove your identity or your right to access information or services on the Internet.
E-commerce has flourished because of the ability to perform secure transactions online using the proper tools. These tools are public key encryption and digital certificates. Public key encryption uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) to encrypt all data between the customer’s computer and the e-commerce website. Information is sent in encrypted form to the site using the site’s public key. Upon receiving the information, the site uses its private key to decrypt the information. This is called a key pair. Interlopers that might capture data en route will find it unreadable. The problem, however, is that anyone can create a website and key pair using a name that doesn’t belong to them. This is where digital certificates come in. Digital certificates are trusted ID cards in electronic form that bind a website’s public encryption key to their identity for purposes of public trust. Digital certificates are issued by an independent, recognized and mutually trusted third party that guarantees that
By using “digital IDs” you can prove your identity in electronic transactions in a way similar to showing your driver’s license when you cash a check. You can also use your digital ID to encrypt messages, keeping them private. Digital IDs incorporate the S/MIME specification for secure electronic mail. How do digital IDs work? A digital ID is composed of a “public key,” a “private key,” and a “digital signature.” When you digitally sign your messages, you are adding your digital signature and public key to the message. The combination of a digital signature and public key is called a “certificate.” Recipients can use your digital signature to verify your identity and use your public key to send you encrypted mail that only you can read by using your private key. In order to send encrypted messages, your address book must contain digital IDs for the recipients. That way, you can their public keys to encrypt the messages. When a recipient gets an encrypted message, their private key is u
A digital certificate is also known as an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate and enables you to communicate securely with your web customers. Digital certificates are created for a specific domain name, on a particular server for a verified business entity. Digital certificates thereby provide both information security and verification of your organisation’s identity. Digital certificates create consumer confidence by demonstrating a valid organisation owns the website and that precaution is being taken with the transmission of personal data, such as credit card numbers.
