Using Certificates for
Authentication and Identification
•A digital certificate is an electronic equivalent of an identification card.
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•A certificate authority (CA) is a trusted third party which verifies the certificate holder’s identity and issues the digital certificate.
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•A digital ID (personal certificate) is used to identify a person to other people and to Web sites that are set up to accept digital certificates.
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•A digital ID is an electronic file that you purchase from a certificate authority and install into a program that uses it, such as an e-mail program or a Web browser.