digital securities solution (SSL) ::

protection of your digital IDs :

What is a "good" password?

I used Microsoft Explorer to enroll. Why didn't it ask me for a password?

I did not specify a password when I got my Digital ID but now Netscape Navigator is prompting me to enter a password.

How do I change my password using Microsoft Internet Explorer, Outlook, or Outlook Express?

How do I change my password using Navigator or Communicator?

I forgot my Navigator or Communicator password.

Netscape Navigator keeps asking me for my password even after I have entered it.

How do I know when to enter the password for my Digital ID?

Can I change how often I am asked to enter my password for the Digital ID?

I saw a form on a Web page that asked for my password for the Digital ID. Why do they need it?

Someone stole my computer, and I had elected to NOT password-protect my private Digital ID.

A good password is one that is long enough and unusual enough that an exhaustive search (such as by using a dictionary) is not likely to reveal it. A good password is easy for you to remember but difficult for someone else to guess.

Use a password of at least eight characters. Do NOT use something obvious or easily traceable to you, such as your telephone number, birth date, or the name of a member of your family. Do NOT use an ordinary English word, a familiar jargon term, or a password that you have previously used. If you write down your password, do not store it in an easily accessible place.
See http://csrc.nist.gov/fips/fip112-1.wp and http://csrc.nist.gov/fips/fip112-2.wp concerning password usage.

Microsoft Explorer protects your private key with the Windows log on password, not with a separate password.

If you use Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher you can choose to use a password to protect your Digital ID. To do this you should revoke the Digital ID and enroll for a new one. When you get to the enrollment page do the following;

Chose the option called "Additional Security for Your Private Key", fill out the rest of the enrollment form
After hitting submit you will be asked to verify your E-mail address
You will then get a dialog box letting you choose the level of security, click on the button, "Set Security Level" chose "High". This option makes you enter a password every time you use your Digital ID.

This dialog box will ask you which item your creating a password for. You can do it in two different ways

You can use the name the browser has given the Digital ID, which is the option selected as the default or

You can name the Digital ID yourself, click "Create a new password for this item" and enter the information including the password. Move to the next step of entering the password (yes again).

Enter the password of your choice. You will be asked to enter it twice. Do not get confused, the dialog box looks exactly the same both times you are asked to enter it.

IMPORTANT Do not choose "Remember password". By choosing this you will never be asked to enter your password. By choosing this option it is basically like not having a password.

Continue with picking up and installing your Digital ID.

Because of a problem in some versions of Netscape Navigator 3.0, the password dialog displays whether or not you specified a password when you requested your Digital ID. Click the OK button to dismiss this dialog--you do not need to enter anything in the password field.

When using any of the programs above your Digital ID does not have its own password. It is protected by the Windows log on password, unless you chose one at the time of enrollment to use a password. You would have done this by choosing the option called "Additional Security for Your Private Key" and then selecting "High" for the level of security. If this is the case you cannot change the password. You will have to revoke the Digital ID and enroll for a new one.

How do I change my Navigator or Communicator password?

Click on the security icon from the main toolbar in Navigator (its the icon that looks like a padlock). Choose "Passwords" from the menu on the left. Click the Change Password button and follow the instructions in the dialog box which appears.

I forgot my Navigator or Communicator password.

For security reasons your password is never sent to us, so unfortunately we will not be able to retrieve it for you. You will have to revoke the Digital ID and enroll for a new one. But before you enroll for a new one you MUST manually delete the Digital ID from the browser. If you do not do this you will not be able to use you new Digital ID. The new Digital ID would still have the old password, which you forgot, once again making the new certificate unusable. To delete your Digital ID files from your hard drive:

Exit Netscape

Delete the key3.db and cert7.db files located in your Netscape folder (Windows users will find these files in Program Files/Netscape/Users/default and Macintosh users will find them in System Folder/Preferences/Netscape f/Security)

Start Navigator

Note: if you do not want to delete all of your Digital IDs, please contact Netscape Customer Service for assistance with bypassing the password protection.

Netscape Navigator keeps asking me for my password even after i have entered it.

When you enter an incorrect password, Navigator gives you a blank password field to allow you to try again. Make sure you are entering your password exactly as you established it, with the same capital letters, numbers and spacing.

If Navigator will not accept your password, you will need to follow the instructions in question above for deleting and revoking your Digital ID and enrolling for a new one (for security reasons your Netscape password is never sent to us, so unfortunately we will not be able to retrieve it for you).

how do i know when to enter the password for my digital certificate?

Netscape users

Depending on the time you set Netscape Navigator, Communicator and Messenger will ask you for the password when the digital certificate is used or asked for by another program. The dialog box Netscape uses to ask for your password refers to the password for your Digital ID as "password or the pin for Communicator Certificate DB". To change the frequency Netscape asks you to enter your password refer to the question above.

Microsoft users

Unless you specifically asked for "Additional Security" at the time of enrollment you won't have a password word specifically for your Digital ID. Microsoft Internet Explorer, Outlook and Outlook Express uses the Window's log on to protect the Digital ID. For more information on how to get a password for your Digital ID refer to the question above.

If you did set your security setting to high Microsoft will give you a dialog box saying "Signing data with your private exchange key!" every time you use the Digital ID.

IMPORTANT Do not use the option "Remember password". By using this option it is as if your Digital ID does not have a password. Note: You should never enter your password in a form retrieved over the Internet. Only enter it into dialog boxes generated by Netscape or Microsoft. For more information refer to the question below.

can i change how often I am asked to enter the password for my digital ID?

Netscape users
Yes, follow the steps below
Click on the security icon (the padlock at the top of the browser window) in Netscape Navigator or Communicator
Choose "Passwords"
Make your choice under "Communicator will ask for this Password:"

Microsoft users

Unfortunately you can't change the frequency Microsoft programs ask for your password. You do have two choices to get around this. Next time you are asked to give your password you can choose the option "Remember password". You will never be asked for the password again. If you don't feel comfortable with that option you can revoke the Digital ID and enroll for a new one. By doing this you can get another Digital ID and choose a different security setting. You may prefer the medium setting. This setting will let you know when your Digital ID is being used and will ask for permission, but not a password.

I saw a form on a web page that asked for my password for the digital ID. why do they need it?

They DON'T. Never provide your password to anyone. No legitimate business ever needs to know this information.

someone stole my computer, and I had elected to not password-protect my digital ID.

Immediately revoke the Digital ID and enroll for a new one. Note: Although relying parties should always check the revocation status of a Digital ID, some relying parties might not have done so. It is a good idea to inform anyone that may be affected that your private key (Digital ID) has been compromised.