For Windows users. Click the Start menu and in the Search Programs and Files box, type CERTMGR.MSC and press Enter. Expand the Trust Root Certification Authorities and click the Certificates folder. Maximize the window so you can review everything that’s in there.
Do you know who these entities are? Perhaps one, two or more? I recognize some of them and I know why they’re in there. I’m curious about a majority of them though. Especially, the ones that are from Latin countries. Who are these entities, how did they get in there and why are they in there?
Well, it goes something like this. Some are there because they created, manufactured and/or provided you with the computer hardware, operating system and others I put in there by trusting their web site and/or software that I purchased and/or downloaded. Still, there are a lot of them that I don’t recognize, and probably got there by say-so of the aforementioned ways that they typically get in there, probably, most likely, from the good ole boy network.
These certificates in your computer’s certificate security store are a way of telling your computer to trust them, their software, emails and web sites. For the ones I don’t even recognize, it bothers me that I wasn’t asked. One day, I’ll share links where you too can download if you’re interested and have a need for them, software I created. Utilities as they’re called, designed to help get work done faster. I will ask you to trust my certificate by downloading and installing it. How will your reaction be I wonder? As with those other entities in your certificate store, you won’t really know me from Adam but, you’ll have the courtesy to validate who I am at least. Who validated those in your Certificate store though? You nor I.
The difference between them and me and others like me is, we’re politely asking you to trust our certificates versus you popping into your local Cert store surprised to find our certificates with our actual legal names and contact info on it, saving you the guess work of who we actually are.
joepat702 