4. Key and certificate security and support
Users wishing to securely access servers on an open network, or to sign documents or mail, must have a certificate and the private key associated with it. While the certificate can be distributed to anyone, the private key must be well protected from third-party access.
Often, certificates and private keys are stored on the PC workstation in an encrypted file, access to which is protected by a password. The level of security obtained in this way is unsatisfactory, because once the password has been entered by the user to unlock the file, the private key appears unencrypted in real memory and is therefore liable to be revealed; moreover, we have already said how little protection a password offers.
4.1 Secure signature creation devices
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Key and certificate security and support
Implementing a PKI
Bibliography
References
Standards and norms
- Information Technology – Open systems interconnection – The directory: general framework for public key and attribute certificates - ITU Rec. X.509 - 2016
- Information technology – Open Systems Interconnection – The Directory – Part 8: Public-key and attribute certificate frameworks - ISO/IEC 9594-8 - 2-2017
- Secure Hash Standard (SHS) - FIPS PUB 180 - 4(2015)
- Data Encryption Standard (DES) - FIPS...
Regulations
Directive 1999/93/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 1999 on a Community framework for electronic signatures (OJ L. 13, 19 January 2000, pp. 12-20).
Law no. 2000-230 of March 13, 2000 adapting the law of evidence to information technologies and relating to electronic signatures (JO no. 62 of March 14, 2000). Replaced by Ordinance n° 2016-131.
Decree...
Organizations
Internet Engineering Task Force
Virtual Private Network Consortium (VPNC)
French Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industry
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