Get a certificate
certifi.ca requires an SSL certificate in your browser signed by a well-known CA. SSL certificates are a special digital file that asserts your identity. Special companies called certificate authorities or CAs give out SSL certificates for browsers, either for free or for a small fee.
The following companies give out certificates that are known to work with certifi.ca.
- thawte's Personal Email Certificate. Free.
- Startcom Free SSL. Free.
- Verisign Digital IDs for Secure Email. US$19.95.
- GeoTrust: My Credential. You may need to import GeoTrust's root Class 1 cert into your browser so it will recognize it. US$19.95.
- CAcert. Free web-of-trust certificate authority. Free.
- TC TrustCenter My Certificate Express. You may need to import TC TrustCenter's root Class 1 cert into your browser. Free.
The following companies give out certificates that are known not to work with certifi.ca.
- (none)
Other certificate authorities have free or inexpensive browser certificates; suggestions for other programs to list here are welcome. Note that many certificates are marketed as being for personal email; they usually work fine for browser certificates, too.
Once you have a certificate, come back here to certifi.ca and you can take the last step -- a quick registration process.