An X509 certificate is nothing more than a standardized digital certificate. X509 refers to the standards used to create all types of digital certificates in use today. These standards were developed to help make it easier for organizations to safely share data and information electronically. The standard also makes it possible for a single digital certificate to be used for multiple purposes, rather than having to issue a single certificate for each desired operation.
The X509 Certificate Standards Allow for Flexibility
It is important to understand there is some flexibility built into the X509 certificate standards. For instance, organizations can choose to add specific types of data, like their company name within their digital certificates. Some companies have even adapted this standard and modified it to create their own customized certificates for use with specific applications. Customized certificates are often identified by a version number following X509, such as X509.5.