Glossary term · C
Electronic certificate
Definition
An electronic certificate is a digital file issued by a certification authority (CA) that associates a public key with the verified identity of its holder — it is also called a digital signature certificate when used to sign. It is the digital identity document on which all digital signature rests.
What a certificate contains : the identity of the holder (Distinguished Name), their public key, the issuing CA, the validity period (typically 1 to 3 years), authorized uses (signature, seal, TLS) and the cryptographic fingerprint of the whole, signed by the CA.
The chain of trust : each certificate is signed by a CA, itself certified by a higher-level CA, up to the root certificate. Verifying a signature amounts to going up this chain — and checking that the certificate has not been revoked (CRL lists, OCSP protocol).
Simple or qualified certificate : a standard certificate is sufficient for advanced signature (AES) ; qualified signature (QES) requires a qualified certificate, issued by a qualified trust service provider after face-to-face identity verification or equivalent.
On Certyneo : you have no certificate to purchase or install — signature certificates are carried by the platform and applied on the server side at the time of PAdES sealing of the document. The digital signature certificate: complete guide →
What a certificate contains : the identity of the holder (Distinguished Name), their public key, the issuing CA, the validity period (typically 1 to 3 years), authorized uses (signature, seal, TLS) and the cryptographic fingerprint of the whole, signed by the CA.
The chain of trust : each certificate is signed by a CA, itself certified by a higher-level CA, up to the root certificate. Verifying a signature amounts to going up this chain — and checking that the certificate has not been revoked (CRL lists, OCSP protocol).
Simple or qualified certificate : a standard certificate is sufficient for advanced signature (AES) ; qualified signature (QES) requires a qualified certificate, issued by a qualified trust service provider after face-to-face identity verification or equivalent.
On Certyneo : you have no certificate to purchase or install — signature certificates are carried by the platform and applied on the server side at the time of PAdES sealing of the document. The digital signature certificate: complete guide →
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