Microsoft Authenticode Signing Certificate Cheap Authenticode Signing Certificate

How Microsoft Authenticode Signing Certificate Works?

Authenticode uses various cryptographic techniques to keep the publisher’s reputation protected through identity verification and the end-user to verify the integrity of the code. Let’s see them in detail.

Identity Verification Process

As we already have seen, you have to obtain a signing certificate from certificate authorities (CA). These publicly trusted CA’s will verify the identity of the applying organization so that I could confirm the source and owner of the original software, applications, device drivers or the executable programs. For that, you have to provide documents related to business registration, address, contact number, and other essential details.

This identification process will benefit you by providing the publisher’s identity while the user is trying to download or install your product. For example, usually, when end-users try to download software, device drivers, applications, or executable programs without a code signing certificate, the browser or the OS  display the publisher’s name as “Unknown” or a security warning.

This can be avoided by using a code signing certificate. Then the browser or OS will show the publisher’s name and the warning message will be eliminated.

Integrity Assurance

When you finish the final version of your software or any other product Authenticode will allow you to put a digital signature on the entire original code.  Along with the digital signature of the publisher, it will also use a hash function to get a hash file. Each hash value is unique. Thus the hash value will change even if a slightest change occurs in your product. If an attacker alters your original code, the browser or OS will detect that the software or executable program has been tampered with, and warning messages will be shown to the end-users.

Using Authenticode code signing does not change or modify the executable part of a driver, software, application or executable program. Thus you don’t have to worry about the core code being altered. Also, while buying code signing certificates select Microsoft Authenticode as the certificate type so that the provider generates the certificate in the appropriate format.

This way Authenticode will allow the end-users to secure their systems fro malicious programs by verifying the identity of the software publisher. Thus building customer confidence resulting in publisher reputation.