Muenster university's cerificate authority (WWUCA)
Having a conversation with others via the internet, whether via e-mail with friends or via WWW with a web server, can be very accurately compared to writing post cards. Anyone with a little know how can
- look at the post card, in other words read along,
- draw something on the post card, in other words change it,
- send post cards under a false name, in other words fake them.
WWW and e-mail software that is up to date offer you the possibility to encode and to electronically sign your conversation, thereby protecting it from being read along, changed or faked.
For encoding and controling the signature, the software needs your counterpart's so called public key, which is provided with a certificate; this is an electronic authentication which states that the public key actually belongs to your counterpart.
Muenster university's certificate authority generates this kind of certificates:
- All tap-proof WWW and other servers at the university and many at the university hospital (UKM) identify themselves with such certificates as soon as you contact those servers. Your WWW respectively e-mail program automatically checks the certificate's authenticity.
- Many staff members and also students of the university and the UKM are already using such certificates to sign their e-mails electronically so your e-mail program can automatically check the authenticity of the e-mail. As soon as a receiver has their own certificate (by the WWUCA or another certificate authority) you can even encode your e-mails to them.
The WWUCA offers all members of WWU and UKM their services. Further information and directions can be found on the WWUCA website (only available in German).
Date: 2011-10-12
