On Mr Jabber, Peter Saint-Andre’s blog, I found a real gem, CACert. CACert is a community for issuing certficates for free. By using a distributed network of assures (we have two here in Gothenburg for example) I can get enough points to get a valid certificate for my identity. And, if I get further assurance points, a will be able to assure others and help spread the network.
I’ve previsously used Thawte Web of Trust which works in the same manner, however I do like the openess and simplicity of CACert. I’ve not been assured by the two guys here in Gothenburg and is waiting for them to enter my points. After that, I can get my personal certificate.
The only main issue with CACert right now is that the CACert root certificate is not included in the main products (Windows, IE, Mozilla) yet. This means that without verifying and installing the root certificate manually, people will not be able to trust my certificate.
tags: Security