Basic Secure Cert Questions

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Basic Questions


1. What is a secure certificate sometimes called a digital or web certificate?

2. What is SSL?

3. What is a CSR?

4. How long does it take to get a Web Server Certificate?

5. What web servers do your certificates support?

6. Why might my application for a certificate fail?

7. What kind of things can I secure?

8. How do I renew my cert?

9. Why does the renewal procedure involve the same work as the initial application?

10. How will I know if my application for a Securecerts.ie Web Server Certificate has been successful (or not)?

11. I want to cancel my application.

12. After installing the certificate some browsers are displaying a warning saying that this certificate is not trusted?

1. What is a secure certificate sometimes called a digital or web certificate?

A secure certificate is an electronic "credit card" that establishes your credentials when doing business or other transactions on the Web. The certificate is issued by a certification authority (CA). It contains your name, a serial number, expiration dates, a copy of the certificate holder's public key (used for encrypting messages and digital signatures), and the digital signature of the certificate issuing authority so that a recipient can verify that the certificate is real. Digital certificates can be kept in registries so that authenticating users can look up other users' public keys.

2. What is SSL?

SSL or Secure Socket Layer protocol is the web standard for encrypting communications between users and web sites. Data sent via an SSL connection is protected by encryption, a mechanism that prevents eavesdropping and tampering with any transmitted data. SSL provides businesses and consumers with the confidence that private data sent to a web site, such as credit card numbers, are kept confidential. Web server certificates are required to initialize an SSL session.


3. What is a CSR?

A CSR or Certificate Signing Request is a text file generated by a Web server which contains the following:

A. Information about your organization (organization name, country, etc…)

B. Your Web or WAP Server's public key.

Your Certificate Signing Request is used to generate your signed digital certificate.

4. How long does it take to get a Web Server Certificate?

From the time you submit your application, the processing time for a Web Server Certificate takes 2 to 3 business days on average.

5. What web servers do your certificates support? 

         * Apache + ApacheSSL
         * Apache + MODSSL
         * Apache + Raven
         * Apache +SSLeay
         * Apache 2
         * C2Net Stronghold
         * Cobalt RaQ3/RaQ4/XTR
         * Ensim
         * IBM HTTP
         * IBM Domino Go 4.6.2.6+
         * iPlanet Enterprise Server 4.1
         * Jakart-Tomcat
         * Lotus Domino 4.6
         * Lotus Domino 5.0.x
         * Microsoft IIS 4.0
         * Microsoft IIS 5.0
         * Netscape Enterprise 3.51
         * O'Reilly WebSite Professional 2.x
         * Plesk
         * Weblogic 5
         * WebSTAR 4
         * Zeus Web Server v3

6. Why might my application for a certificate fail?

The main reasons that can lead an application to fail are:

  • The domain name in the CSR is not registered to the authorizing business/organization.
  • CSR is incorrectly formatted


7. What kind of things can I secure?

IP addresses if for example you are using ssl for Email access over the net, domain names and sub domains.

8. How do I renew my cert?

We recommend that you renew your web server certificate at least 2 weeks before your certificate expires in order to maintain your Internet security.

Before you proceed with the process, review the 2 renewal requirements below:


1. Your organization name must remain the same.

2. Your fully qualified domain name (FQDN) must remain the same as last year's order. If your FQDN changes, you must click on BUY NOW instead of RENEW NOW.


9. Why does the renewal procedure involve the same work as the initial application?

Because cryptographic keys can be compromised by a sustained computational attack over many years, we ask that you generate a new key pair and CSR and request a fresh certificate. By renewing your public key along with the certificate you ensure maximum security for your transactions.


10. How will I know if my application for a Securecerts.ie Web Server Certificate has been successful (or not)?

You will be notified when the verification process is completed. If your application has been accepted, you will receive your certificate via an e-mail sent to the administrative and technical contacts


11. I want to cancel my application.

GeoTrust will replace, revoke, and refund certificates that have been issued within seven (7) days of the certificate issue date. If you need a new certificate for any reason after seven days, you will be responsible for purchasing a new server certificate.

12. After installing the certificate some browsers are displaying a warning saying that this certificate is not trusted?

Geotrust certificates are compatible with Microsoft Internet Explorer® 5.01 and higher and Netscape/AOL web browsers version 4.51 and higher, comprising an estimated 98% or more of all web browsers in use today. All other commonly used browsers may connect securely with web servers using QuickSSL certificates. However, some older browsers may display a dialogue box indicating that the certificate is not trusted. This means that the certificated is not located in the browser certificate store and, in most cases, the user will be prompted to install it with a few clicks of their mouse.

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