URL-based certificate in a PKI

A method of a client device enabling another device in a communications network to reconstruct an address of a certificate published in an addressable database accessible via said communications network, said method comprising:

• generating a certificate generation request;
• sending said certificate generation request to a public key infrastructure for issuing and publishing said certificate, wherein said public key infrastructure processing said certificate generation request obtains a certificate locator by applying a hash function to information in said certificate generation request, wherein said certificate locator identifies an address within said database at which said public key infrastructure may publish said certificate;
• generating, at the client device, the same certificate locator from said certificate generation request in the same manner;
• and
• forwarding said certificate locator generated by said client device to said another device to enable said device to retrieve said certificate via said communications network by combining said certificate locator with a location of said database in said communications network.

An apparatus for allocating an address to enable storage of a certificate in an addressable database accessible via a communications network, wherein a location of said database is publicly known within the communications network, said apparatus being configured to:

• receive a certificate generation request from a client device via said communications network;
• obtain a certificate locator by applying a hash function to information in said certificate generation request, wherein said certificate locator identifies an address within said database at which to store said certificate;
• and
• enable publishing of said certificate, once issued, in said database at said address within said database,
• said publishing enabling another device in said communications network to retrieve said certificate using said location of said database and said certificate locator,
• said certificate locator received by said another device from said client device, and
• said client device having generated the certificate locator from said certificate generation request in the same manner.

An apparatus of a client device for enabling another device in a communications network to reconstruct an address of a certificate published in an addressable database accessible via said communications network, said apparatus being configured to:

• generate a certificate generation request;
• send said certificate generation request to a public key infrastructure for issuing and publishing said certificate, wherein said public key infrastructure processing said certificate generation request obtains a certificate locator by applying a hash function to information in said certificate generation request, wherein said certificate locator identifies an address within said database at which said public key infrastructure may publish said certificate;
• generate, at said client device, the same certificate locator from said certificate generation request in the same manner;
• and
• forward said certificate locator generated by said client device to said another device to enable said another device to retrieve said certificate via said communications network by combining said certificate locator with a location of said database in said communications network.