Processing a certificate signing request in a dispersed storage network

A method for execution by a managing unit of a dispersed storage network (DSN), the method comprises:

• receiving, from a requesting device, a certificate signing request that includes fixed certificate information and suggested certificate information;
• forwarding the certificate signing request to a certificate authority;
• receiving a signed certificate from the certificate authority, wherein the signed certificate includes a certificate and a certification signature and wherein the certificate includes the fixed certificate information and determined certificate information based on the suggested certificate information;
• interpreting the fixed certificate information of the signed certificate to identify the requesting device;
• and
• forwarding the signed certificate to the identified requesting device.

A dispersed storage (DS) module of a dispersed storage network (DSN), comprises:

• a first module, when operable within a computing device, causes the computing device to:
• receive, from a requesting device, a certificate signing request that includes fixed certificate information and suggested certificate information;
• a second module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to:
• forwarding the certificate signing request to a certificate authority;
• a third module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to:
• receive a signed certificate from the certificate authority, wherein the signed certificate includes a certificate and a certification signature and wherein the certificate includes the fixed certificate information and determined certificate information based on the suggested certificate information;
• and
• a fourth module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to:
• interpret the fixed certificate information of the signed certificate to identify the requesting device;
• and
• forward the signed certificate to the identified requesting device.