Using Digital Certificates with Internet Explorer
Contents
5. Extracting an already installed digital certificate from Internet Explorer
6. Installing a digital certificate using Internet Explorer
1. Introduction
GRNET provides to all its subscribers and members digital certificates for e-mail usage.
In order to acquire you personal digital certificate you must first trust GRNET's Certification Authority.
In this document you will find step-by-step instructions on how to obtain your digital certificate using Internet Explorer. If you are using Netscape Messenger, as your main e-mail client, please select the relevant instructions from here.
2. Certificate Issuance
In order to be issued with a digital certificate for your Outlook Express e-mail account please navigate to έκδοσης πιστοποιητικού χρήστη using Internet Explorer. This link requires identification. You will have to complete the fields "Ονοματεπώνυμο - Surname" and "Διεύθυνση ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου - Email Address" and click on Επόμενο - Next
The following pages will guide you on how to confirm your identity with the Certification Authority and how to fill in your application.
| Should you encounter any errors during the abover procedure, please send an e-mail outlining the problem to this e-mail address harica.gr |
When the processing of your application has been completed you will be notified by e-mail in order to acquire your personal digital certificate. This e-mail will provide the link that you must use in order to accept and install your certificate.
| ATTENTION ! The digital certificate can only be acquired and used via the specific internet browser that was used to make the relevant application. |
After you have followed all the procedures above you will now be in possession of your digital certificate and you will be able to start using it directly.
3. Certificate Usage
You can use your digital certificate to sign you e-mail messages in order to prove your identity. Also you can use your digital certificate to send scrambled e-mail messages. You can select the option to automatically sign all outgoing e-mail messages that you will be sending to your recipients. Or you can choose either to sign or not every single e-mail message that you will be sending out to your correspondents.
| ATTENTION ! You must correctly enter you e-mail address to Outlook Express (exactly the way you entered youe address during the certificate issuance procedure) in order to be able to use your certificate. |
In order to automatically sign all outgoing messages go to Tools -> Options from the basic menu of Outlook Express and select tag Security:
In the pop-up window select Digitally sign all outgoing messages and then click on OK:
From now on all the e-mail messages that you will be sending out will also be automatically signed with your digital certificate.
In window New Message you can check the validity of the digital certificate
by clicking on this icon 
.
The icon's presence declares that the e-mail message you are about to send
will be signed by your digital certificate. Should you wuish to send an e-mail
message without your digital signatutre deselect the previous option by clicking
on Sign from the tool bar of New Message:
Then continue to send your message in the usual manner. That means the usual manner for a non-signed e-mail. When you are about to send your message, the window below will appear. You should just click on Ok:
4. Sending out a scrambled e-mail message
When you wish to send an scrambled (encrypted) e-mail message select Encrypt from the tool bar of New Message:
You must be in possesion of the public key of the user you wish to send this scrambled e-mail.If this is not the case the following message will appear when you will try to send the e-mail :
If the receiving party has a GRNET issued digital certificate, then you can search for this certificate from GRNET website using this link - (Certificate Search).
In order to check the identity of the users that you are a holder of their public keys, follow this selection Tools -> Options and from the tag Security select Digital IDs....
In window Certificates select the tag Other People:
5. Extracting an already installed digital certificate from Internet Explorer
Properly installed digital certificates in a specific browser environment (for example Internet Explorerin your personal computer), can be extract it so they can be transferred to any other browser and application environments.
| ATTENTION ! If during the digital certificate extraction process you had selected Yes στην in Secret Key Protection - Προστασία μυστικού κλειδιού, you cannot extract your digital certificate. |
From Internet Explorer's basic menu go to Tools -> Internet Options... and select Certificates... from the tag Content:
In the pop-up window select the tag Personal:
Your personal digital certificate must now be on the list. In order to extract it click on Export.... The Certificate Export Wizard will help you complete this process ::
Click on Next to continue :
Click on Yes, export the private key and then click on Next:
Make sure that you have selected Personal Information Exchange and Include all certificates in the certification path if possible and Enable strong protection (if you cannot select the latter please ignore it). Then click on Next:
You will be asked to provide a password with which you wish to encrypt the digital certificate. Please re-enter the password you have entered once more for verification purposes. Then click on Next:
You will be asked to select where you wish to store your digital certificate. Clicking on Browse... you will be given the option to select the name of the file and the subdirectory under which the certificate will be saved.:
Click on Save after you have enterer a proper name for the file. You will noe return to the previous window where you will need to click on Next:
You will now have completed the export process. You will be shown the following window. Click on :Finish:
In the next tow informational messages please click on ΟΚ:
Finally, click on Close in order to return to Internet Options and Ok in order to return to the basic window of Internet Explorer.
6. Installing a Certificate using Internet Explorer
In order to install your certificate to στον Internet Explorer you must first have the file with extension p12, that was created during the extraction of the certificate from its previsously installed environment.
From the basic menu of Internet Explorer go to Tools -> Internet Options... and select Certificates... from the tag Content:
in the following window select Import...:
Click on Import a Certificate.... The Certificate Import Wizard will be invoked as shown below :
Click on Next .You will be promtyed to select your digital certificate from its repository :
Clicking on Browse... you can search for and select your digital certificate :
After you have selected your digital certificate click on Next and you will be prompted to provide the password protecting this certificate as shown below :
Then select Enable strong private protection and Mark the private key as exportable and then click on Next:
Select Automatically... and click on Next:
At this point click on Finish and the following window will appear :
Click on Οκ. POp-up messages like the ones that follow will appear. Click on Yes:
There will be a message informing you that your digital certificate was succesfully installed :
In the pop-up window you should be able to see your digital certificate :
Click on Close in order to return to Internet Options and Ok to go back to the main window of Internet Explorer.