METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CREATING AND VERIFYING PUBLIC KEY CERTIFICATE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and apparatus for creating and verifying public key certificates that can issue a public key certificate by which an EE (End Entity) clearly confirms certificated contents by the public key certificate and the range of the responsibilities between an IA (Issuing Authority) and an RA (Registration Authority) and that allows the EE receiving the public key certificate to confirm the effective range of the certificate even when the management subject of the IA differs from that of the RA. SOLUTION: The RA confirms and investigates a user when registering the user of an EE apparatus and generates a signature of the RA on the basis of the information obtained through the confirmation and the investigation. The IA creates the public key certificated including the signature of the RA on request from the RA and signs the signature of the IA to the entire public key certificate. The EE receiving the public key certificate issued in this way verifies the signatures of the RA and the IA so as to confirm that the RA surely warrants (signs) the information confirmed by the RA, and confirms the effective range of the certificate.