Using Your Digital ID on your Mac
Importing the Certificate
Certificates are stored in Keychain Access on your computer.
To import a personal certificate, Double-click the certificate file you receive
from the certification authority. Keychain Access opens and imports the
certificate. You should see this:
For Keychain Access to recognize a certificate file, it must have a file
extension that indicates it contains certificates. Some examples of file
extensions are ".cer," ".crt," ".p12," and ".p7c."
If Keychain Access does not import the certificate, drag the file onto the
Keychain Access application icon, located in Applications/Utilities.
If you still can't import a certificate into Keychain Access, the certificate
may have expired or the certificate may not be valid.
Using your Certificate to sign/encrypt e-mail using Mail:
If you have a personal certificate on your computer, you can send signed
messages (including the body of the message and any attachments) to
anyone using Mail. Signed messages let your recipients verify your identity
as the sender, and provide assurance that the message has not been tampered
with in transit. You'll know your personal certificate is installed in Keychain
Access if a Signed (checkmark) icon appears to the right of the Signature
pop-up menu in a new mail message.
Encrypted messages (which encrypt both the body of the message and any
attachments) offer a higher level of security than just signed messages. You
can only send encrypted messages when you have certificates stored on your
computer for both you and all recipients of your message. The easiest way to
get someone's certificate is to have them send you a signed (but not
encrypted) email message. When you view a signed message, Mail
automatically imports the person's certificate (or "public key") and stores it
in your keychain. You'll know you have the recipient's personal certificate
installed in Keychain Access if an Encrypt (lock) icon appears next to the
Signed icon after you address a new mail message to that person.
To sign and encrypt an email message:
1.
Choose File > New Message, and choose the account from the
Account pop-up menu for which you have a personal certificate installed
in your keychain. A Signed (checkmark) icon on the upper-right side
above the message text indicates that the message will be signed when
you send it. To send the message unsigned, click the Signed icon to
deselect it. An unsigned ("x") icon replaces the checkmark.
2.
Address the e-mail. An Encrypt (closed lock) icon appears next to the
Signed icon if you have a personal certificate for the recipient in your
keychain and indicates the message will be encrypted when you send it.
To send the message unencrypted, click the Encrypt icon to deselect it.
An open lock icon replaces the closed lock icon.
For security, encrypted messages are saved in your Sent mailbox in an
encrypted format.
If you don't have a certificate for all the recipients, a dialog appears that
allows you to either cancel the delivery of the message or send the message
unencrypted.
Using your Certificate to sign/encrypt e-mail using Entourage:
From the main window in Entourage--Choose Tools, Accounts,
highlight on your Mail account and click Edit.
Choose the Security Tab, then click the Select button. In the Signing
Certificate window click on your name and click Choose.
In the Edit Account screen you will see your Name next to Certificate.
Click the check box for signing all messages. It should look like this: