In order to obtain a digital certificate with a public key, it must first be created and issued by a certification authority. This type of process can be available through different types of services, where certificates are created for a fee for commercial businesses. Another option businesses can use is to obtain their own CA system. By having their own system, they are able to issue their own digital certificates on their own.

What Type of Certification Authority Do I Require for My Business?

There is a specific type of system required in order to generate and create different types of digital certificates. This type of system can be called by different names, which include certification authority, certificate authority, or CA. Whenever a digital certificate is required, there will be two different versions of the certificate created. One will hold the private key and is held by a single person or organization. The other type of certificate contains the public key, and as the name implies, is distributed to any user, who needs to exchange data with the user or organization.

A certification authority is needed to generate and create digital certifications for both public and private use. Oftentimes the issuing party is a third party contracted by a business to create their certificates. This third party has to be a trusted source in order for people to have confidence that security will not be compromised. This confidence applies to both internal and external usage of your certificates.

You Have Options When Selecting a Certification Authority

Every now and then you may hear about an organization experiencing an issue with hacking from an unauthorized user. The hacker can cause serious problems when they are able to gain easy access to corporate resources. For instance, they may have been able to access personal employee data and published this information directly to the internet. Not only is this an embarrassing situation for the organization, but it can lead to identify theft for the employees. How this typically can occur, is when the organization does not have the proper security measures in place, including 2FA.

Most people are aware that there is not just a single digital certificate contained on their computer. You can have a variety of certificates on your computer, all designed to perform a specific function. For example, you could have one certificate which is used to allow you to access a secure website. You could have another certificate which is used to encrypt and decrypt email messages. These are just two examples, and you most likely have many more on your computer.

A Digital Certificate Can Be Stored in Specific Locations on Your Computer

The types of devices you use with your RSA token will depend on the size of your organization. Smaller business may incorporate the token directly onto their employees’ ID cards. This set up will require a smart card reader at each of your computer terminals. A smart card set up is not always ideal for larger businesses. However, these organizations can take advantage of placing the token onto an external and portable USB drive.

Using a RSA Token Is Ideal for Organizations Which Share Computers

A certificate authority system is provided by a trusted third party when organizations want to create their own types of digital certificates. The provider you use is important, as it will have a direct effect on whether outside sources will also trust to use your certificates. It is important to pick a provider that is recognized and accepted as a trusted certificate source.

A Certificate Authority System Is Part of Any Solution Used to Create Digital Certificates

Two factor authentication offers a second layer of security for a variety of computing environments. This type of authentication is effective for such purposes as web access control, securing cloud computing system access, creating secure extranets with strong authentication, eliminating hacking and phreaking on your VOIP systems, and increasing security on mobile devices. In addition to these purposes, this type of authentication can be used for any application, resource or system access where added security is required.

How to Set Up and Activate Your Two Factor Authentication System

In order to authenticate with a UK VPN, you will need the correct type of digital certificate. This certificate can be contained directly on your computer, or stored externally on another device, such as a portable USB drive. Storing the certificate on your computer is acceptable, as long as you do not share your computer with other users.

Reasons to Store a Digital Certificate Externally for Accessing Your UK VPN

2FA can be used in a variety of different computing environments and situations. You can use it for increasing authentication for accessing your network resources. You can also use it for reducing the likelihood of unauthorized access to your cloud computing environments and web-based systems. Further, two factor authentication can be applied to virtual private networks, extranets, and mobile devices, including cell phones, tablets, iPad, iPhones and smart phones.