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Using Personal Certificates

This presentation by Jeff D’Angelo and Jeremy Hill explores the role and usefulness of personal certificates, illustrating their importance in establishing trust within digital communications. Covering various types of certificates, such as server and code-signing certificates, the discussion emphasizes community-driven models like the Web of Trust, where peers validate identities. Attendees will learn how to apply for certificates from providers like Thawte and CAcert, the assurance process with notaries, and practical demonstrations for integrating certificates into email and PDF applications.

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Using Personal Certificates

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  1. Using Personal Certificates Jeff D’AngeloJeremy Hill Network of People, Jan 6, 2005

  2. Our role • Not a formal ITS or Penn State project • No support from ITS helpdesks • We present this material today not as an authority but as peer • Personal Certificate programs are global • We are selfish – we want more points • Our selfishness helps you

  3. What types of certificates exist? • Server • Personal • Code-signing • Others (client, etc.)

  4. How are certificates useful? • Certificates are a means of placing trust in an unknown/unverified party • Can validate authenticity of peer/server in SSL/TLS communication (HTTPS, etc) • Can encrypt/sign email (S/MIME) • Can sign (validate) documents (PDF) • Can sign executable code • Client Authentication (VPN, HTTP, etc)

  5. Methods of assuring identity • Single assurance from Certificate Authority • PGP Web of Trust (WoT) model • Hybrid CA + Web of Trust model

  6. How hybrid model works • Community based effort assuring identity of peers • Web-based point system keeps track of assurances received and given • No single point of assurance failure • Single path to verify new certificates

  7. Hybrid Web of Trust CAs • Thawte • Trusted in most clients today • FREE for personal certificates • CAcert • Server and Code-signing also FREE • Requires root certificate installation in most clients today

  8. Getting started • 1) Apply for account with Thawte (or CAcert) • 2) Get points via assurances • At 50 points, your certificates are trusted • At 100 points, you become a WoT notary • 3) Give assurances to help the community • The more you give, the more points you can give • Start at giving max 10 points and work towards 35 max

  9. Assurance process • Meet notary/assuror in person • Provide proof(s) of identity matching account information (e.g., driver’s license #, passport #) • Notary/assuror makes copy of id proofs • Both sign a document attesting assurance • Notary/assuror grants points to the assertion online • Notary/assuror keeps documentation secure and may produce to CA if audited

  10. Demos • Jeff • Applying for Thawte Personal Certificates • Downloading certificate into email client • Signing, verifying email • Jeremy • Installing certificate into Adobe PDF • Signing PDF documents

  11. S/MIME E-Mail client support • Mozilla Mail and derivatives (e.g., Thunderbird) – Good • MS Outlook and Outlook Express – Good • Eudora – Poor • Pine – Poor • Apple Mail – Decent

  12. Conclusion • Summary • Q & A • Thawte and CAcert assurances given during break

  13. References • Thawte Personal Certificates: http://thawte.com/email/ • CAcert Personal Certificates: http://cacert.org/

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