GROUP ASSIGNMENT NO 8
GROUP NUMBER 15
• IDENTIFY ALL ELEMENTS OF YOUR COMPUTER DIGITAL
CERTIFICATE USING THE REGISTRY DATABASE OR THE BROWSERS
AND WRITE THEM DOWN WITH SCREENSHOTS INCLUDED.
(DOCUMENT THE PROCEDURES USED).
Digital certificate
A digital certificate is a file or electronic password that proves the authenticity of a device,
server, or user through the use of cryptography and the public key infrastructure (PKI).
Digital certificate authentication helps organizations ensure that only trusted devices and
users can connect to their networks.
A digital certificate contains identifiable information, such as a user’s name, company, or
department and a device’s Internet Protocol (IP) address or serial number. Digital
certificates contain a copy of a public key from the certificate holder, which needs to be
matched to a corresponding private key to verify it is real. A public key certificate is
issued by certificate authorities (CAs), which sign certificates to verify the identity of the
requesting device or user.
• Digital certificates are issued by CAs, which sign a certificate to prove the
authenticity of the individual or organization that issued the request. A CA is
responsible for managing domain control verification and verifying that the
public key attached to the certificate belongs to the user or organization that
requested it. They play an important part in the PKI process and keeping internet
traffic secure.
Beneficial Features of Digital Certificates
• Digital certificates are becoming increasingly important, as cyberattacks continue
to increase in both volume and sophistication. Key benefits of digital certificates
include
Security
• Digital certificates encrypt internal and external communications to prevent attackers from intercepting and stealing
sensitive data. For example, a TLS/SSL certificate encrypts data between a web server and a web browser, ensuring an
attacker cannot intercept website visitors’ data.
Scalability
• Digital certificates provide businesses of all shapes and sizes with the same encryption quality. They are highly scalable,
which means they can easily be issued, revoked, and renewed in seconds, used to secure user devices, and managed
through a centralized platform.
Authenticity
• Digital certificates are crucial to ensuring the authenticity of online communication in the age of widespread cyberattacks.
They make sure that users’ messages will always reach their intended recipient—and only reach their intended recipient.
TLS/SSL certificates encrypt websites, Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) encrypt email
communication, and document-signing certificates can be used for digital document sharing.
Reliability
• Only publicly trusted CAs can issue recognized digital certificates. Obtaining one requires rigorous vetting, which ensures
hackers or fake organizations cannot trick victims that use a digital certificate.
Public Trust
• Using a digital certificate provides confirmation that a website is genuine and that documents and emails are authentic.
This projects public trust, assuring clients that they are dealing with a genuine company that values their security and
privacy.
STEPS TO VIEW A DIGITAL CERTIFICATE USING
REGISTRY EDITOR
i. Press start menu + R to open the Run.
ii. Type into it the following regedit
STEPS TO VIEW A DIGITAL CERTIFICATE USING
REGISTRY EDITOR
iii. Press ok or Press enter
• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
The statement "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT" refers to a specific root key in the Windows Registry, which is a hierarchical database that stores
configuration settings and options for the Windows operating system. The Windows Registry is organized into a tree-like structure, with various keys,
subkeys, and values.
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER
The statement "HKEY_CURRENT_USER" refers to a root key in the Windows Registry, a hierarchical database that stores configuration settings and
options for the Windows operating system. The Windows Registry is organized into a tree-like structure, with various keys, subkeys, and values.
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
The statement "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" refers to a root key in the Windows Registry, a hierarchical database that stores configuration settings and
options for the Windows operating system. The Windows Registry is organized into a tree-like structure, with various keys, subkeys, and values.
• HKEY_USER
HKEY_USERS contains registry settings for all user profiles on the computer, making it a useful location for managing default user settings and
understanding configurations across different user accounts.
• HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG
The statement "HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG" refers to a root key in the Windows Registry, a hierarchical database that stores configuration settings and
options for the Windows operating system. The Windows Registry is organized into a tree-like structure, with various keys, subkeys, and values.
STEPS TO VIEW A DIGITAL CERTIFICATE USING REGISTRY
EDITOR
iv.Select or click at the HKEY_CURRENT_USER as shown below
STEPS TO VIEW A DIGITAL CERTIFICATE
USING REGISTRY EDITOR
v. Click to software portion
STEPS TO VIEW A DIGITAL CERTIFICATE USING
REGISTRY EDITOR
vi.Click to Microsoft portion
vii.Click at the System Certificate as shown below
viii.Click to CA portion as shown below
• Under the Certificates folder, you will be able to see all the certificates installed for the current
user in the left window pane. One such certificate is highlighted for your reference. If you click
on any certificate, you will be able to see its settings in the right window pane.
Certificate a
Certificate b
Certificate c
Certificate d
Certificate e
Certificate f
Certificate g
Certificate h
• In this portion of System Certificate each folder contains it’s certificate but
morely are value less exception of CA folder containing certificates with values
as shown above the slides.
THANKS
