Verisign, Inc.

Mahinda K De Silva

Atul Vijay Tulshibagwale

Xinhong Yuan

Ram A Moskovitz

As part of a security infrastructure based on public-key cryptography, a first digital certificate ( ) is issued by a first certification authority ( ) to a first subscriber ( ) and binds the first subscriber ( ) to a first public key ( ). The first public key ( ) corresponds to a first private key held by the first subscriber ( ), and the first public key and the first private key form a key pair for use in public-key cryptography. The first digital certificate ( ) is digitally signed by the first certification authority ( ) and includes subscriber information ( ) pertaining to the first subscriber ( ) and related certificate information ( ) at least partially identifying a second digital certificate ( ). The second digital certificate ( ) is issued by a second certification authority ( ) to a second subscriber ( ) and is digitally signed by the second certification authority ( ). It binds the second subscriber ( ) to a second public key ( ) corresponding to a second private key held by the second subscriber ( ). The second public key and the second private key form a key pair for use in public-key cryptography. The first subscriber ( )is matched to the second subscriber ( ).

Digital certificate cross-referencing

A local server ( ) locally hosts the provision of digital certificate services to a client ( ); while a central server ( ) provides the actual digital certificate services. The local server ( ) transmits ( ) a custom entry form ( ) to the client ( ). In response to the client's ( ) use of the custom entry form ( ), the client ( ) transmits ( ) a standard request for digital certificate services to a central server ( ), possibly via the local server ( ). The central server ( ) fulfills ( ) the request, generating a standard response. The standard response is transmitted ( ) to the local server ( ), which generates ( ) a custom display of the results contained in the standard response. The custom display is transmitted ( ) to the client ( ), fulfilling the client's request. Information is provided ( ), enabling the local server ( ) to create ( ) appropriate custom entry forms ( ) and to generate ( ) the custom display from the standard response. The communications between local server ( ) and central server ( ) preferably are secured.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Mahinda K De Silva