digital signature application pre-requisite

[Former Community Member]

Hi All,

I am developing an application for digital signature in Adobe live cycle. We get the usb token containing certificates of users from identrust for pdf signing. For validating signature i am using p12 file provided by identrust. I have imported p12 file in adobe live cycle server in trust store settings of adminui

I have pdf verification service as well as xml sign verification service which will validate incoming pdf for transaction.

shall i need to import those certificate in trusted root with following procedures

1.Go to web browser

2.Click on tool and then internet option

3.under content tab go to certificate

4.import the certificate(identrustt.p12) file in trusted root tab.

ya there is no need of doing this thing.

we can import .cer file by above method but is this a correct way if i import p12 file in similar fashion.

Please someone help me out to know the difference between .cer and .p12 file. Or provide me any link which help me out to get more info on digital signature.

Please reply to me if you need more clarification on this.

[Former Community Member]

A digital certificate is made up of a PUBLIC\PRIVATE key pair.  To sign a create a digital signature, the PRIVATE key is used, to validate a signature the PUBLIC key is used.

A P12 file contains both the PUBLIC key, and PRIVATE key of a digital certificate.  A .cer file is the PUBLIC key that has been extracted from a .P12 file.

To have LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES2 sign a document, a P12 (or PFX) file must be imported into the Local Credentials area of the Trust Store, or LiveCycle must be configured to communicate with a Hardware Security Module (HSM) that stores the credentials (PRIVATE key).

To have LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES2 validate a document, a .cer file must be imported into the Certificates area of the Trust Store, and the correct "permissions" must be enabled.

Regards

Steve

[Former Community Member]

Hi steve,

many thanks to your reply

how to get cer from p12 file? is there any procedure for conversion?

[Former Community Member]

Just a note, you don't "convert" a P12 to a .CER, you extract it.

You can extract the public key (.CER) from the P12 in a couple of ways...

1)  Sign a PDF with the P12, then you can export the .CER from the resulting signature (Signature Properties)

See the following thread for details...

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/760362?tstart=0

2)  You can install the P12 to the Windows Certificate Store and export the .CER from there

Open Internet Explorer

Menu Tools -> Internet Options

Tab Content -> Click Certificates

Select the Certificate you want to export the Public Key from and click Export

Click Next -> Check No do not export the private key -> Click Next

Select DER encoded binary X.509 (.CER) -> Click Next

Type in a filename with a .cer extension to save this public key to -> Click Next

Click finish -> Click Ok

Regards

Steve

[Former Community Member]

Hi Steve,

Many thanks to provide clearity over the difference between cer and p12.

What is the procedure to export the intermediate certificate from p12 file?

Regards

Abhishek

[Former Community Member]

Abhishek

The intermediate certificate will be in a PDF signature.  The easiest way to get it is...

1)  Sign a PDF with the P12, then you can export the .CER from the resulting signature (Signature Properties - see screen shot)

See the following thread for details...

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/760362?tstart=0

Steve