Methods and systems for automated authentication, processing and issuance of digital certificates

A computer system for automated identification, processing and issuance of digital certificates comprising:

• a. means for a Requestor to request a web server certificate from a certificate authority;
• b. means for the certificate authority to receive the request;
• c. means for the certificate authority to obtain domain information for a domain for which the certificate is being requested;
• d. means for generating Approver email addresses from the domain information;
• e. means for the Requestor to select Approver email address or addresses;
• f. means for the certificate authority to contact the Approver using the selected email address or addresses and requesting that the Approver approve issuance of the certificate;
• g. means for the Approver to deny or approve the request for issuance of the certificate and inform the certificate authority of its denial or approval;
• h. means for the certificate authority to create and sign the certificate;
• i. means for sending the signed certificate to the Requestor.

A computerized process for automated identification, processing and issuance of digital certificates, comprising the steps of:

• a. a Requestor requests a web server certificate from a certificate authority;
• b. the certificate authority receives the request;
• c. the certificate authority obtains domain information for the web server;
• d. the certificate authority generates Approver email addresses from the domain information;
• e. the Requestor is requested to select Approver email address or addresses;
• f. the certificate authority contacts the Approver using the selected email address or addresses and requests that the Approver approve issuance of the certificate;
• g. the certificate authority denies the request if not approved or for any other reason;
• h. the certificate authority accepts the request if approved, and creates and signs the certificate;
• i. the signed certificate is sent to the Requestor.

A computer system for automated identification, processing and issuance of digital certificates comprising:

• a. means for a Requestor to request a web server certificate from a certificate authority;
• b. means for the certificate authority to receive the request;
• c. means for generating Approver email addresses by pre-appending a mail box name to the 2, 3, 4, . . . N component domain of the certificate being requested;
• d. means for the Requestor to select Approver email address or addresses;
• e. means for the certificate authority to contact the Approver using the selected email address or addresses and requesting that the Approver approve issuance of the certificate;
• f. means for the certificate authority to deny the request;
• g. means for the certificate authority to accept the request, create and sign the certificate;
• h. means for sending the signed certificate to the Requestor.