Signing a Certificate
The Certificate Signing tab is used to sign requests with the private key and certificate you define. When a user wants to make an SSL connection with a host they have an account on, the user creates a certificate of their own and sends the generated request file to the server administrator. This is usually done through e-mail. Once the administrator has the file, they can sign the request and create a new certificate that can be sent back to the user. The user then uses that new certificate to make an SSL connection with the host.
If the Certificates are requested and verified upon connection option found on the SSL Option tab is selected, the certificate the administrator uses to sign the certificate signing request must be listed in the Trusted Authorities tab for that host. If not, any SSL connection that tries to use that certificate will fail.
To sign a certificate:
- In the Private Key box, select the private key you want to use to sign the request by clicking on the Browse (...) button and selecting the file.
- In the Certificate box, select the certificate associated with that private key.
- Enter the pass phrase associated with that private key/certificate in both the Pass Phrase box and the Pass Phrase Confirmation box.
- In the Request File box, select the request file you want to sign by clicking on the Browse (...) button and selecting the file.
- In the Active Date box, enter the date the certificate is activated, or use the pull-down button to select the date from a calendar.
- In the Expires On box, enter the date the certificate expires on, or use the pull-down button to select the date from a calendar.
- In the Output Certificate box, enter the file name and complete path of the certificate that is to be generated by signing the request. You can click the Browse (...) button to enter the name and select the folder you want to create the file in.
| Note: Usually, the output certificate file uses the same name as the request file. |
| Note: Do not use the same path and filename as the signing certificate. |
- Click the Sign button to sign the request and create the new certificate.
The certificate that was created should now be sent back to the user. If the certificate file used to sign the request is not listed in the Trusted Authorities tab for that host, you should add it now.
