Digital Certificates FAQ
What is a Digital Certificate?
A Digital Certificate is an electronic credential allowing an individual to
prove their identity during online transactions. It forms the basis by which an
individual can create a “digital signature” for use in electronic transactions,
eliminating the need for paper. View the
video to learn more about Digital Certificates.
Certificates purchased through this contract can be used to provide
authentication for access to secure Internet applications available through
Transact Washington. View the
video to learn more about Transact Washington.
This Master Contract offers three different assurance levels of Certificates: High, Intermediate and Standard. All
Certificates have an effective period of one year and may be renewed by payment
of the renewal fee. See the
price list.
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Who Issues Digital Certificates?
Digital Certificates are issued by a trusted third party known as a
Certification Authority (CA). When an individual provides information to the CA
as part of the online application process, the CA verifies the information and
issues a Digital Certificate to the individual (Subscriber). In so doing,
the CA attests to the fact that the individual is in fact the person named in
the Certificate. Somewhat like a passport, the Certificate can be presented to
Internet trading partners to provide proof of identity.
For this Master Contract, the CA is IdenTrust. IdenTrust is licensed by the
Washington Office of the Secretary of State, and assumes responsibility for all
operational aspects of Certificate issuance and management. IdenTrust
provides a public repository containing a list of all Certificates issued, and
provides revocation services whereby Certificates can be revoked prior to their
expiration date if it is determined that the Certificate or private key that
corresponds to the Certificate should no longer be trusted. NOTE: Individuals
have unique responsibilities as Subscribers of Certificates. An
individual must request that the CA revoke their certificate if it is ever
lost, compromised, or outside their authorized control.
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How are Certificates Issued?
The process starts when an individual establishes a secure online session to
apply for a certificate. During this session, the individual provides
personal information that will be independently verified by IdenTrust. After an
individual’s application has been approved, they'll receive instructions at
home via U.S. mail on how to retrieve their Certificate online. If the
application is not approved, the applicant will be notified via mail and may
contact IdenTrust for further assistance.
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How are Certificates Purchased?
Digital Certificates purchased by Washington state public agencies (Purchasers)
under this contract will be issued to individuals. Certificates may be
purchased three different ways: Agency Purchase Order (PO), Flexible Ordering
Plan (Vouchers) and Agency Credit Card.
Agency Purchase Order
IdenTrust must receive the purchase order before individuals go online to
apply for a Certificate. IdenTrust will confirm the order has been
placed and will provide Purchasers with an order number to be used in the
payment field by individuals when applying for a Certificate online at the
State of
Washington Certificate Center. IdenTrust will invoice purchasers
monthly for orders submitted by individuals using the purchaser’s order number.
Agency purchase orders must include the following information:
-
Master Contract Number
-
Purchase Order Number
-
Organization Name
-
Billing Address
-
Billing Contact Name
-
Billing Contact Phone Number
-
Description of Certificates – assurance level, bundle type (assurance level and
storage type), etc.
-
Authorized Signature
-
Total Purchase Amount and/or PO Expiration Date
Flexible Ordering Plan
Digital Certificates may also be purchased through a voucher system. A
Purchaser procures a voucher with a voucher number that Purchaser can then
distribute to selected individual applicants for purchasing Certificates. Each
voucher number can be used for the purchase of a single Certificate at DST’s
State of
Washington Certificate Center web site. Purchasers may specify the
assurance level and bundle type (i.e., assurance level, plus certificate
storage mechanism), up to the maximum dollar amount for a voucher. Each
voucher is valid for a period of one year. The Certificate(s) purchased with
the voucher will be valid for a period of one year from the Certificate
purchase date.
The voucher cost will be applied as a credit against the cost of each
Certificate, if used within the voucher validity period. A Certificate ordered
using a voucher number will be billed to the agency at the end of the monthly
billing period in which the voucher was used. DST’s invoice to the Purchaser
for redeemed vouchers will contain a list of individual voucher numbers used by
applicants, so that Purchaser can track Certificate purchases.
For an additional processing fee, unused vouchers may be modified prior to
expiration to designate different assurance levels, bundle types or dollar
amounts. The expiration date for the voucher will still be one year from the
original purchase date.
Agency Credit Card
If you are authorized by your agency you may use an agency credit card to
purchase your digital certificate directly from IdenTrust. This process does
not require any previous acknowlegement from IdenTrust before proceeding,
but does require that the individual provide an accurate credit card number and
expiration date. The purchase of the certificate will be reflected on the
agency’s next monthly credit card statement.
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