What are the different types of public certificates that need to be managed?
TLS/SSL Certificates – Standard x.509 certificates to secure websites and servers. TLS certificates are the backbone of internet security and the reason you see a padlock icon in your web browser. They ensure that your information remains encrypted on websites during transit and that the brands behind website domains and organizations are authentic and legitimate.
Email or S/MIME Certificates – Email certificates encrypt and secure email messages to ensure your messages remain private and untampered, preventing any unintended party from sending or receiving an email message from your email address.
Code Signing Certificates – Code signing certificates protect software programs and code. Code signing is increasingly becoming a requirement for engineers and developers, especially while submitting applications and software programs to the various popular mobile app stores for Apple, Google, etc.
Document Signing Certificates – Document signing certificates allow individuals, teams or organizations to add an electronic, digital signature to a document to prove ownership. The digital signature is an encrypted hash of your message that can only be decrypted by someone who has a copy of your public key.
Qualified Certificates – Qualified certificates provide a high level of assurance and are often required within countries in the EU. Some examples of qualified certificates include: eIDAS Qualified eSignature certificates, eIDAS Qualified eSeal certificates and eIDAS Qualified Web Authentication Certificates or QWAC.
Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs)– Verified Mark Certificates allow you to display your logo next to the “sender” field in email inboxes so that users can recognize your brand and that it’s been “verified” before they open your message. VMCs serve a similar purpose to the verified blue checkmarks issued on social media platforms.
