What is the Digital Certificate / Digital ID?
A digital certificate is like the identity of an individual, when he/she transacts/ interacts through the internet it uniquely identifies any individual on the internet. It consists of an electronic file called “key pairs” containing the ‘Private key’ and ‘Public key’ of the individual to whom the certificates belongs, which is digitally signed by the CA(Certifying Authority) to become a legally valid Digital Certificate / Digital Id.
A CA (Certficate Authority) is a body that issues digital certificates.
What can a Digital Certificate be used for?
A Digital Certificate can be used to digitally sign any document in electronic format or for transactions being performed through a web-browser.
A Digital Signatures is the electronic equivalent of a physical signature and can be used to electronically sign any document or transaction.
What are the benefits of using Digital certificates?
A Digital Certificate can be used to electronically sign any document or transaction. It ensures that the data is secured and is not viewed or altered by any unauthorized person.
What is the validity of the signature? What do i do after two years?
The digital signatures on any document remain valid throughout life, however the digital certificate being used to create the digital signature is valid for a period of two years. After each year, therefore to keep using your digital certificate you need to pay just the renewed fees for your certificates.
Can my Digital Certificate be used by someone else?
No you are not allowed to share your certificate with someone else. Giving any other person access to your Certificate is like allowing any other person to make use of your physical signature. Therefore it is illegal to allow it. The full responsibility of keeping the certificate safely lies with the certificate holders.
What happens if i lose my Digital Certificate?
In case you loose your Digital Certificate you would need to re-enroll for a certificate and apply afresh. Therefore it is advised to keep your Digital Certificate safely and take a backup of your certificate.
Once a Digital Signature Certificate request is submitted, no changes can be made to the content. So please ensure that all information that you submit is correct before you submit your request. However, if there is still a mistake, you will need to submit a fresh online request. In such cases, please contact your RA Administrator immediately.
What is a Certificate Trust Chain? How can I install it?
A Certificate Trust Chain refers to the certificates of the issuing authorities involved in the generation of your certificate. This needs to be installed along with your certificate so that it can be verified that your certificate comes from a trusted source.