STREAMLINED PROCESS FOR ENROLLMENT OF MULTIPLE DIGITAL CERTIFICATES

• US 20110208962A1
• Filed: 02/23/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DigiCert Incorporated
• Original Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Inventors: Andrews, Richard F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,468,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/156
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]

Abstract

The enrollment process for purchasing multiple digital certificates configured using different cryptographic algorithms or hashing algorithms is streamlined. A certificate purchaser wishing to purchase two or more certificates is prompted to provide answers to common enrollment questions, such as the purchaser'"'"'s contact information, payment details, web sever software, and the like, using a simplified and streamlined enrollment process. Each certificate is optionally configured using a different hashing algorithm.

Claims

1. A method of issuing a plurality of digital certificates to a client by a Certificate Authority (CA), each digital certificate being configured in accordance with a different cryptographic algorithm, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the client via a communications network to purchase the plurality of certificates;

prompting the client to supply common contact and payment information via the communications network to the CA, the common contact information to be applied to the plurality of certificates;

prompting the client to submit a plurality of certificate signing requests via the communications network to the CA, each certificate signing request being associated with a different one of the plurality of certificates and specifying an encryption algorithm;

generating the plurality of certificates, wherein each certificate includes at least some of the common contact information and each certificate is generated in accordance with the encryption algorithm specified in one of the plurality of certificate signing requests; and

transmitting the plurality of certificates via the communications network from the CA to the client.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a first one of the cryptographic algorithm is an ECC algorithm, and wherein a second one of the cryptographic algorithm is an RSS algorithm.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving of the request and the transmitting of the plurality of certificates are performed during a same enrollment phase.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a first one of the plurality of certificates using a first hashing algorithm; and

generating a second one of the plurality of certificates using a second hashing algorithm.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

generating the first and second ones of the plurality of certificates in response to a request made by the client.

6. A method of issuing a plurality of digital certificates to a client by a Certificate Authority (CA), each digital certificate being configured in accordance with a different hashing algorithm, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the client via a communications network to purchase the plurality of certificates;

prompting the client to supply common contact and payment information via the communications network to the CA, the common contact information to be applied to the plurality of certificates;

prompting the client to submit a certificate signing request via the communications network to the CA, the certificate signing request being associated with the plurality of certificates;

generating the plurality of certificates, wherein each certificate includes at least some of the common contact information and each certificate is generated in accordance with a different hashing algorithm; and

transmitting the plurality of certificates via the communications network from the CA to the client.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein a first one of the hashing algorithms is a SHA-1 algorithm, and wherein a second one of the hashing algorithms is a SHA-2 algorithm.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the receiving of the request and the transmitting of the plurality of certificates are performed during a same enrollment phase.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

generating a first one of the plurality of certificates using a first cryptographic algorithm; and

generating a second one of the plurality of certificates using a second cryptographic algorithm.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

generating the plurality of certificates in response to a request made by the client.

11. A computer system adapted to:

receive a request from a client via a communications network to purchase a plurality of certificates;

prompt the client to supply common contact and payment information via the communications network to the computer, the common contact information to be applied to the plurality of certificates;

prompt the client to submit a plurality of certificate signing requests via the communications network to the computer, each certificate signing request being associated with a different one of the plurality of certificates and specifying an encryption algorithm;

generate the plurality of certificates, wherein each certificate includes at least some of the common contact information and each certificate is generated in accordance with the encryption algorithm specified in one of the plurality of certificate signing requests; and

transmit the plurality of certificates via the communications network to the client.

12. The computer system of claim 11 wherein said computer is further adapted to:

generate a first one of the plurality of certificates using an ECC algorithm; and

generate a second one of the plurality of certificates using an RSS algorithm.

13. The computer system of claim 11 wherein said computer is further adapted to receive the request and the transmit the plurality of certificates during a same enrollment phase.

14. The computer system of claim 11 wherein said computer is further adapted to:

generate a first one of the plurality of certificates using a first hashing algorithm; and

generate a second one of the plurality of certificates using a second hashing algorithm.

15. The computer system of claim 14 wherein said computer is further adapted to generate the first and second ones of the plurality of certificates in response to a request made by the client.

16. A computer system adapted to:

receive a request from a client via a communications network to purchase a plurality of certificates;

prompt the client to supply common contact and payment information via the communications network to the computer, the common contact information to be applied to the plurality of certificates;

prompt the client to submit a certificate signing request via the communications network to the computer, the certificate signing request being associated with the plurality of certificates;

generate the plurality of certificates, wherein each certificate includes at least some of the common contact information and each certificate is generated in accordance with a different hashing algorithm; and

transmit the plurality of certificates via the communications network to the client.

17. The computer system of claim 16 wherein said computer is further adapted to:

generate a first one of the plurality of certificates using a SHA-1 algorithm; and

generate a second one of the plurality of certificates using a SHA-2 algorithm.

18. The computer system of claim 16 wherein said computer is further adapted to receive the request and transmit the plurality of certificates during a same enrollment phase.

19. The computer system of claim 16 wherein said computer is further adapted to:

generate a first one of the plurality of certificates using a first cryptographic algorithm; and

generate a second one of the plurality of certificates using a cryptographic algorithm.

20. The computer system of claim 16 wherein said computer is further adapted to generate the first and second ones of the plurality of certificates in response to a request made by the client.