What information does a certificate contain?
A digital certificate contains information that includes, among other things, the name of the owner of the certificate, the validity period of the certificate, and the manner (policy) by which the certificate was issued. The certificate is digitally signed by the Certification Authority issuing the certificate, so that it cannot be changed or altered over the Internet.
The relevant fields in a certificate are:
- Name of the certificate issuer
- Period of time for which certificate is valid (validity period)
- Name of the certified subject (person)
- E-mail address of the certified subject
- Unique Identifier public key of the certified subject
- Information that identifies the assurance level of the certificate
- The certificate’s Reliance Limit dollar amount
Other than your proper name, no personal information will be displayed in the certificate.
To learn more about how to view the contents of your certificate, click How do I view my digital certificates in Internet Explorer 7?