SECURITY

Obtaining a trusted root certificate for SSL authentication
The copy of the CA's certificate is called a trusted root certificate. After obtaining the trusted root certificate and -- if you are using an IBM® Lotus® Notes® client -- an Internet cross-certificate for the root certificate, the client will trust the CA and by extension, any certificates issued by this CA. If you are setting up server authentication for an Internet client, you add this trusted root to a local file. If you are setting up server authentication for a Lotus Notes client, you add this trusted root to a IBM® Lotus® Domino™ Directory that users can access to generate a cross-certificate in their Contacts.

Lotus Notes clients can also obtain a trusted root certificate and cross-certificate to gain access to the server; however, adding the trusted root certificate to the Lotus Domino Directory simplifies the process of setting up server authentication for users.

Note A users can accept certificates automatically, without having to obtain the roots or cross-certificates, by enabling the option "Accept site certificates" in the location document for the Lotus Notes client. However, accepting certificates from unknown servers is a security risk. If a user doesn't know the sources of the certificates being accepted, it is possible to accept certificates from malicious sources.

To obtain a trusted root certificate for a Notes client

1. Make sure that you have a trusted root certificate for the CA. In the Lotus Domino Administrator, click Configuration - Certificates - Certificates, and view the certificate in the Internet Certifiers category.

2. Instruct clients to complete the procedure "Creating an Internet cross-certificate for a CA."

To obtain a trusted root certificate for an Internet client

You can use the following procedures to obtain a trusted root certificate for an Internet client.

If the trusted root certificate is for a Lotus Domino CA, the Internet client performs these steps:

1. Browse to the Domino Certificate Requests or Certificate Authority (Domino 5) application.

2. Select "Accept This Authority In Your Browser."

Note If you use an SSL connection to browse to the application, the server prompts you to accept the site certificate. Check the CA properties to make sure that the certificate that is presented is from a source you trust before accepting the certificate as a trusted root.

If the trusted root certificate is for a third-party CA, the Internet client follows the third-party CA's established procedure to merge the trusted root certificate for the CA. If both the client and server have certificates issued from the CA or already have a CA in common, then this step is not necessary.

See also