Criteria For Obtaining Digital Certificates

• Server certificates are issued by a certifying authority.
  • Issued by a third party.
  • Self signing.

• When choosing a certifying authority consider the following:
  • Is the digital certificate issued by the certifying authority compatible with all browsers accessing the server.
  • Is the certifying authority a recognized and trusted entity.
  • How will the certifying authority verify the identity of the owner of the certificate.
  • How well does the certifying authority understand the functions performed by the server.
  • Initial, renewal, maintenance and other costs of the digital certificate.
  • The time the certifying authority will take to issue a digital certificate.
    • It can take days or even months, depending on the certificate level.

What is the information needed to verify the identity of the owner of a server certificate?

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© 2006 John Michael Pierobon

Notes