This section describes how to use the Certificate Manager. For more general information on using certificates, see Using Certificates.
If you are not already viewing the Certificate Manager window, follow these steps:
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The Your Certificates tab in the Certificate Manager allows you to examine and work with the certificates you have on file that identify you. To select a certificate, click its name. To select more than one certificate, hold down the Control key and click the names of those you want to select.
To perform these actions, select the certificates on which you want to act and click one of these buttons:
These actions do not require a certificate to be selected:
Back up smart card certificates one at a time. Certificates stored anywhere other than the software security device, such as on a smart card in a smart card reader attached to your computer, will not be backed up by the Backup All button. To back up such certificates, select them individually, then click Backup.
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A certificate backup password protects one or more certificates that you are backing up using the Backup or Backup All button in the Your Certificates panel of the Certificate Manager.
The browser asks you to set a certificate backup password when you back up certificates, and requests it when you attempt to restore certificates that have previously been backed up.
Choose a good password: If someone obtains the file containing a certificate that you have backed up and successfully restores the certificate, that person can send messages or access web sites while pretending to be you. This can have negative consequences, for example, if you digitally sign important email messages or manage your bank or investment accounts over the Internet.
Therefore, it's important to select a certificate backup password that is difficult to guess. The password quality meter gives you a rough idea of the quality of your password as you type it based on factors such as length and the use of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
For further guidelines, see the online document Choosing a Good Password.
It's also important to record the password in a safe place—and not anywhere that's easily accessible to someone else. If you forget this password, you can't restore the backup of your certificate.
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Before deleting any certificate—even one that has expired—make sure that you won't need it again some day. For example:
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The Web Sites tab in the Certificate Manager allows you to examine and work with the certificates you have on file that identify web sites.
To perform these actions, select the certificates on which you want to act and click one of these buttons:
When you select a web site certificate and click Edit, you see a window entitled Edit Certificate Trust. Here you specify whether you want to trust the selected certificate for identifying the web site and setting up an encrypted connection with it.
The radio buttons have the following effects:
Click OK to implement your choice.
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Before deleting a web site certificate, make sure that you won't need it again for the purposes of identifying a web site and setting up an encrypted connection.
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The Authorities tab in the Certificate Manager allows you to examine and work with the certificates you have on file that identify certificate authorities (CAs).
To perform these actions, select the certificates on which you want to act and click one of these buttons:
When you select a CA certificate and click Edit, you see a window entitled Edit Certificate Trust. Here you specify the kinds of certificates you trust this CA to certify. If you deselect all the checkboxes, Certificate Manager will not trust any certificates issued by this CA.
The settings have these effects:
Click OK to implement the settings you have selected.
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Before deleting a CA certificate, make sure that you won't need it again to validate certificates issued by that CA. If you delete the only valid certificate you have for a CA, Certificate Manager will no longer trust any certificates issued by that CA.
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This section describes the options available in the Device Manager window. For background information and step-by-step instructions on the use of the Device Manager, see Manage Smart Cards and Other Security Devices.
If you are not already viewing the Device Manager window, follow these steps:
The Device Manager lists each available PKCS #11 module in boldface, and the security devices managed by each module below the module's name.
When you select a module or device, information about the selected item appears in the middle of the window, and some of the buttons on the right side of the window become available. In general, you perform an action on a module or device by selecting its name and clicking the appropriate button. For example:
To add a new module, click Load. Before adding a new module, you should first install the module software on your computer and if necessary connect any associated hardware device. Follow the instructions provided by the vendor.
The Enable FIPS button on the right side of the Device Manager allows you to turn the FIPS mode on and off. For more information, see Enable FIPS Mode.
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7/9/2001
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