X509 Certificate Standards Contain Information in Specific Locations

At the basis of most digital certificates are X509 certificate standards, which were established to make using and sharing of certificates simplified. This does not mean that the security of the certificates is compromised. Rather, it implies that the structure of a certificate following standardization will be laid out in a similar manner. Certain information within certificates can be opened and accessed. This information could include learning who created the certificate, when it was created, and when it expires.

Information Following X509 Certificate Standards Will Vary Based on Certificate Type

The types of X509 certificate standards followed by an organization will depend on the types of certificates being created. For example, when a business decides to use digital signatures, they will need a special type of digital certificate. The layout within the digital certificate will contain additional information needed to encrypt and decrypt the signature, as well as the signature data. Other types of certificates used for other purposes will not contain this information.