Changes between Initial Version and Version 1 of faq/security/mfpl-certificate-authority

Timestamp:

Mar 12, 2008, 12:25:57 AM (18 years ago)

Author:

Jamie McClelland

Comment:

--

faq/security/mfpl-certificate-authority

@@ +1 @@
+= Some of your web sites tell me that your security certificate was signed by an unknown entity. What can I do to get to know you? =
+
+An SSL certificate is a file installed on our web servers that is designed to prove that the web site your are visiting really is run by May First/People Link. The SSL certificate is used when you visit a site that starts with https instead of http.
+
+This step is important because it is possible to type in one of our web addresses into your browser, but be re-directed to another web site that looks like our web site, but isn't. If you enter your username and password, this information can then be stolen.
+
+When you visit a site that starts with https, your web browser requests the SSL certificate. Every SSL certificate is signed by a "certificate authority." This signature says: The Certificate Authority called "ABC" (or whatever the name of the Certificate Authority is) assures you that the web site your are visiting really is run by Organization XYZ.
+
+Your web browser comes pre-configured to trust certain corporate certificate authorities, like Thawte and Verisign.
+
+We pay money to Certificate Authorities (such as Thawte) to have them verify our identity and sign our certificates.
+
+We are beginning to take a new track. Rather than paying money to corporation to prove that we are who we say we are, we are instead creating our own Certificate Authority.
+
+The catch: You have to install our Certificate Authority in your web browser. You can do that by clicking on the link below.
+
+If you are running Firefox, it will take you through the steps of accepting it automatically.
+
+If you are running Internet Explorer, download the file. Then:
+
+ 1. Click Tools -> Internet Options
+ 1. Click Content -> Certificates
+ 1. Click Trusted Root Certificates
+ 1. Click Import 
+
+If you'd like to confirm that this certificate is the proper certificate (and you have the gpg key for either dkg or Jamie), you can download our respective asc files and run:
+
+{{{
+gpg --verify mfpl.crt.dkg.asc mfpl.crt
+gpg --verify mfpl.crt.jamie.asc mfpl.crt
+}}}
+
+You should see output like:
+
+{{{
+gpg: Signature made Tue 11 Mar 2008 08:23:00 PM EDT using DSA key ID 76CC057D
+gpg: Good signature from "Jamie McClelland <jamie@mayfirst.org>"
+gpg:                 aka "Jamie McClelland <jm@mayfirst.org>"
+}}}
+
+and
+
+{{{
+gpg: Signature made Thu 20 Sep 2007 07:00:40 PM EDT using RSA key ID D21739E9
+gpg: Good signature from "Daniel Kahn Gillmor <dkg@fifthhorseman.net>"
+gpg:                 aka "Daniel Kahn Gillmor <dkg-debian.org@fifthhorseman.net>"
+}}}