Digital Certificates

A Digital Certificate is an electronic document that proves ownership and identity, providing access to material.

Service Provider

Iowa State IT has joined the InCommon Certificate Service to provide digital certificates for Iowa State University. InCommon has contracted with Comodo, a major commercial supplier, to be the issuing authority. Interfaces are tailored to higher education needs.

Obtaining a Digital Certificate

Certificates may be “owned” either by a department or by an individual. Ownership typically depends on the certificate type.

To get a standard SSL certificate:

1. Go to ASW > Request for Services
2. Choose Certificate type (SSL, Code Signing, Personal)
3. Choose SSL Web Server Certificate

If your software requires a specialized certificate (e.g. subject alternative name):

• Contact the Solution Center.

If you are a departmental or organizational IT representative:

• Refer to the IT Handbook.

Types of Certificates

Iowa State University IT is able to issue:

• SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates
  • Single or multi-year certificates
  • SAN (Subject Alternative Name) certificates
  • Wild-card certificates
  • EV (Extended Validation) certificates
• Code Signing certificates
• Personal or Client certificates
  • Signing
  • Encryption
  • Dual-use

Rates

There are no charges for individual certificates. The university pays a fixed annual fee that is not dependent on the number of certificates issued.