A digital certificate is an electronic "passport" that allows a computer application to identify a person as them self. Just like a passport, a digital certificate provides identifying information, is forgery resistant, and can be verified because it was issued by an official, trusted agency. The certificate contains the name of the certificate holder, a serial number, expiration dates, a copy of the certificate holder's public key (used for encrypting messages and digital signatures) and the digital signature of the certificate-issuing authority (CA) so that a recipient can verify that the certificate is real.
This document will walk through the acquisition and installation of personal email certificates in Outlook 2016.
- Send an email to Steve Ranis requesting a personal email certificate.
- An email will be sent to you from Certificate Services Manager.
Follow the link included in the email and complete the form.
NOTE: The PIN is used to install the certificate; the pass-phrase is used to revoke.
- Download the certificate.
- Click File in the upper left corner of Outlook.
- Select Options from the list.
- In the window that appears, click Trust Center in the list to the left.
- Click Trust Center Settings...
- In the window that appears, click E-mail Security.
- Click the Import/Export... button.
- In the window that appears, click Browse...
- Locate and select your .cer file.
- In the Password field enter your PIN.
NOTE: The 4-digit PIN specified during the certificate request process is used to install the certificate, and the pass-phrase is used to revoke the certificate should the situation arise.
- Click OK.
- Check the box next to Add digital signature to outgoing messages.
- Click Publish to GAI...
- Click Settings... to configure the certificate.
- In the window that appears, select SHA256 in the Hash Algorithm field, and select AES (256-bit) in the Encryption Algorithm field.
- Click OK.
