Certificate Services

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the difference between getting a certificate here, compared to buying directly from Verisign (or any other certificate vendor)?

   In order to obtain or renew a certificate directly from a commercial Certificate Authority, you must:

   • Visit a vendor web page to provide your personal identification and server information to their automated system.
   • Issue a Purchase Order to Verisign............
   • Wait for the vendor to call HR to verify your identity, employment, etc........
   • Then go through the technical steps of generating a certificate signing request, downloading the signed certificate, etc.

     This adds up to quite a bit of delay.

Now, if you take advantage of the University's Verisign OnSite contract, you:

• Visit a Verisign web page (see the instructions) to provide your personal identification and server information into their automated system.
• Go through the technical steps of generating a certificate signing request, submit it on the web page.
• Wait for approval by ITS staff. Proof requirements are not challenging for obvious cases (e.g. known sys admins of known servers).
• Receive the signed certificate by email.

This can go much more quickly -- most of the paper handoffs and manual interventions are gone.

 

In either case, you have a choice of one- or two-year certificates.

Compared to a direct Verisign purchase, the cost to you is slightly lower on initial purchase, and slightly higher on renewal, but there is no paperwork, and the response time is always much better. Costs from other vendors may be lower (and you are welcome to go anywhere), but the purchase and order verification details will be similar at any commercial Certificate Authority.