Digital Certificate provides a means of proving your identity in electronic transactions; just like a driver�s license or a passport does. You can present a Digital Certificate electronically to prove your identity or your right to access information or services online.
- Owner’s public key
- Owner’s name
- Expiration date of the public
- Name of the issuer (the CA that issued the Digital Certificate)
- Serial number of the Digital Certificate
- Digital signature of the issuer
The most widely accepted format for digital certificates is defined by the CCITT X.509 international standard. And the most widely used standard for digital certificates is X.509.
As electronic commerce, electronic banking, and other online transaction are becoming more common, offering the convenience and flexibility to the government and business processes. However, it brings along the concerns about privacy and security of the electronic data transacted. Encryption of the data alone is not enough, as it provides no proof of the identity of the sender of the encrypted information. Thus the digital signature technology is used which makes the use of the digital certificate, which provides an easy electronic means of verifying sender is identity ensuring the non-repudiation.
