Obtaining Client Certificates in IIS 6.0

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1

You can obtain a client certificate from a certification authority (CA), which is a trustworthy third-party organization. Before the CA issues a certificate, you may need to verify your identity. The identification information required by the CA varies, depending on the type of certificate that you want to obtain. How these certificates are obtained and implemented depends upon the browser that is being used. The procedures in this topic are for Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 and later only. For client certificate procedures for other browsers, see the browser documentation.

Procedures

To obtain a client certificate

  1. Choose a certification authority. For information about choosing a certification authority, see Obtaining and Installing Server Certificates.

  2. Refer to the specific ordering instructions that are provided by the certification authority.

  3. Order your certificate. Some client certificates are valid only for the computer and Web browser that are used to generate the certificate request. When this is the case, be sure to make the online request from the computer where you intend to install the certificate.

  4. When you receive your client certificate, use your Web browser's security features to install the certificate. (Some Web browsers may refer to client certificates as "browser certificates" or "personal certificates.")