Digital Certificates

Personal digital certificates allow you to digitally sign and encrypt documents, emails, and other data.

Obtaining a Personal Email Certificate

UBIT supplies personal email certificates (also known as S/MIME certificates) for all of UB. To request an email certificate, visit UBIT's page for electronic and digital signatures and follow the instructions listed under Digital signatures for email.

Most requirements for digital signatures can be fulfilled using a UBIT-provided email certificate, but some cases have special requirements.

For example, DoD grant documents may require digital signatures that use a certificate obtained from a designated supplier.

Installing a Certificate

Once you have downloaded a digital certificate, you'll need to install it so that your apps can use it. Most apps can use certificates installed using a device's built-in tools, but there are some notable exceptions (for example, Outlook for iOS).

Import your certificate into Microsoft Windows to use it in programs like Microsoft Outlook.

Browse to the folder where you saved the certificate file.
Right click on the certificate file and select "Install PFX" from the options.
From the "Certificate Import Wizard", choose the following options:
1. On the "Store Location" screen, select "Current User" and click Next.
2. On the "File to Import" screen, verify that the file name/location listed is correct and click Next.
3. On the "Private key protection" screen, make the following changes:
  1. For your "Password", enter the PIN that you set earlier.
  2. Check the box entitled "Mark this key as exportable".
  3. Leave all of the other options as defaults and click Next.
4. On the "Certificate Store" screen, keep the default "Automatically select" action and click Next.
5. On the "Completing" screen, verify the options and click Finish.
When prompted that "The Import was successful", click OK to finish the import process.

Import the certificate into your login keychain to use it with apps like Outlook, Mail, and Adobe Acrobat.

Browse to the folder where you saved the certificate file.
Open the certificate file.
Keychain Access may prompt you to unlock your login keychain with your login password. If so, enter your password.
When prompted, enter the password for the certificate file.
If successful, Keychain Access should open and show the certificate in your login keychain.

Usage Guides

Once you have obtained and installed a digital certificate on your system, it may be used by a variety of software. Review the following guides for more information on common uses:

Digital Certificates

Obtaining a Personal Email Certificate

Installing a Certificate

Installing Certificates on Windows

Installing Certificates on macOS

Usage Guides

Science and Engineering Node Services