System and method for retrieving related certificates

A physical computer-readable medium storing computer executable instructions, the instructions, which when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the processor to perform acts of a method of searching and retrieving certificates for use in the processing of an encoded message, said acts comprising:

• receiving a message comprising an end entity certificate;
• performing a search on a certificate server, wherein at least one query is submitted by an application executing on the computing device to the certificate server to request retrieval of all certificate authority certificates and cross-certificates issued by a certificate issuer of one organization that are stored on the certificate server and are related to the end entity certificate, automatically in response to receiving the message, wherein each of said certificate authority certificates is issued to a certificate issuer within said organization, and wherein each of said cross-certificates is issued to a certificate issuer of a different organization;
• and
• retrieving the certificate authority certificates and cross-certificates and storing on the computing device the certificate authority certificates and cross-certificates.

A system for searching and retrieving certificates comprising a processor of a computing device configured to:

• receive a message comprising an end entity certificate;
• perform a search on a certificate server, wherein at least one query is submitted by an application executing on the computing device to the certificate server to request retrieval of all certificate authority certificates and cross-certificates issued by a certificate issuer of one organization that are stored on the certificate server and are related to the end entity certificate, automatically in response to receiving the message, wherein each of said certificate authority certificates is issued to a certificate issuer within said organization, and wherein each of said cross-certificates is issued to a certificate issuer of a different organization;
• and
• retrieve the certificate authority certificates and cross-certificates and store on the computing device the certificate authority certificates and cross-certificates.