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Digital Certificates/Signatures

Everything you need to know to use your personal digital certificate at UT Health San Antonio

When properly used, personal digital certificates allow the user to be identified as the sender of an email, as the final authority on a word processing document or spreadsheet, or as the signer of a PDF file. This non-repudiation, especially for PDF files, is frequently used as a suitable substitute for a handwritten signature. In fact, digitally signing PDF files is the preferred format for distribution of certain documents at UT Health San Antonio.

First, you’ll need to request your digital certificate.

Follow the steps in ‘My Service Center’ for requesting Digital Certificates. If you are making a request for a group of users in your department, download the Digital Certificates Bulk Request spreadsheet and attach it to the service request.

When you’ve completed your request, you’ll receive an email telling you the certificate has been ordered along with a link back to the page. Shortly thereafter, you’ll receive an email from “Certificate Services Manager” with the subject line “Invitation Email – You have requested email certificate validation”. Though “invitation” may lead you to think the message is spam, it is not. It will provide the link to download your certificate, and the next instructions cover that process. You will have approximately five minutes after clicking this link to download your certificate (for security reasons). Please contact InfoSec@uthscsa.edu if you have surpassed this time limit and need another invitation request be re-issued.

Next, you’ll need to download your digital certificate.

Before your digital certificate can be used on your computer, you must download it and save it to a secure location. This will be necessary if you need to install the certificate in another application or on to a new computer.

NOTE: Be sure to DOWNLOAD your certificate; do not run it. When you download it, remember the password and passphrase used.

Follow these instructions to download your digital certificate.

Downloading your digital certificate

Windows

During this following process, your default browser will open and be used to download your digital certificate. To determine your default browser, please view the video “Finding your default web browser”.

Once you have requested your digital certificate, you will receive an email with instructions for downloading your certificate. NOTE: The sender is “Certificate Services Manager” and the subject line is “Invitation Email – You have requested email certificate validation” (Fig. 1). This is NOT spam. The University validates certificate usage by only sending the invitations to Health Science Center email addresses.

 

Figure 1
Fig. 1

 

  1. Open the e-mail message and click the link (Fig. 2).

     

    Figure 2
    Fig. 2

     

  2. This will open the Certificate Manager site to download your certificate (Fig. 3). NOTE: This link can only be used once, so click it when you have the time to complete the entire process (less than 5 minutes).
    Figure 3
    Fig. 3

    The User Registration browser window will already have the “Code” and “Email” fields filled in. These values will be the same as those in the email notification.
     

  3. Pick a password or a PIN you can remember and enter it in the “Password” field and re-type it where shown in Fig. 4 (red arrows), then enter a password or PIN in the “Passphrase” field and re-type it where shown. For ease of use, use the same value for both the “Password” and the “Passphrase”. When installing on your computer, most applications ask for a password, but some may ask for a passphrase; using the same value for both avoids confusion. Remember this value and store is securely.
    Figure 4
    Fig. 4
  4. At the bottom of the User Registration window, click the checkbox next to I have read and agree to the terms of the Sectigo Client Certificate EULA (Fig. 5).
    Figure 5
    Fig. 5
  5. When the “Sectigo EULA” window appears (Fig. 6), click OK.
    Figure 6
    Fig. 6
  6. When the EULA has been accepted, the “Submit” button will become available (Fig. 7). Click the “Submit” button.
    Figure 7
    Fig. 7
  7. Once the user registration is complete, you will be presented with the “Digital Certificate download” window (Fig. 8). Click the “Download” button.
    Figure 8
    Fig. 8
  8. Depending on the configuration of your default browser, your digital certificate will either be automatically downloaded to your default download folder or you will be presented with a download window (Fig. 9). If presented with the download window, select the radio button next to “Save File” and click “OK”.
    Figure 9
    Fig. 9

    If your default browser is Internet Explorer (Fig. 10) …

     

    Figure 10
    Fig. 10

    … or Microsoft Edge (Fig. 11) …

     

     

    Figure 11
    Fig. 11

    … DO NOT click “Open”, please click “Save”.
     

     

  9. Your next step is to find your downloaded certificate, make a copy, and store it in a secure location. Read this step and Steps 10 and 11 thoroughly first before proceeding.

    If not already open, please open your default browser, then press Ctrl + J (Fig. 12).

    Figure 12
    Fig. 12

    This will open a list of your recent downloads. Your certificate file will be named “#####_uthscsa_edu.p12”, where “#####” is your University username. Depending on the configuration of your computer, it may simply be named “#####_uthscsa_edu”.
     

     

  10. If your default browser is Google Chrome (Fig. 13), click the “Show in folder” link.
    Figure 13
    Fig. 13

    If your default browser is Microsoft Edge (Fig. 14), click the link labeled “Open folder”.

     

    Figure 14
    Fig. 14

    If your default browser is Mozilla Firefox (Fig. 15), click the folder icon to the right of the file name.

     

     

    Figure 15
    Fig. 15

    If your default browser is Internet Explorer (Fig. 16), click the “Downloads” link next to the file name.

     

     

    Figure 16
    Fig. 16

    Please be advised Microsoft will be retiring Internet Explorer on June 15, 2022, meaning there will be no support or security patches. Please consider moving to another browser before then.
     

     

  11. Once you’ve clicked the appropriate link to open the downloads folder for your browser (Fig. 17), copy the file and store it and the password you used to download it in a secure location. You will need them if you want to re-install the certificate on your computer or install it on a new computer or other device. You may install the certificate on as many devices as you are authorized.
    Figure 17
    Fig. 17

You are now ready to install your certificate on your Windows device.

macOS

During this following process, your default browser will open and be used to download your digital certificate. To determine your default browser, please view the video “Finding your default web browser”.

Once you have requested your digital certificate, you will receive an email with instructions for downloading your certificate. NOTE: The sender is “Certificate Services Manager” and the subject line is “Invitation Email – You have requested email certificate validation” (Fig. 1). This is NOT spam. The University validates certificate usage by only sending the invitations to Health Science Center email addresses.

 

Figure 1
Fig. 1

 

  1. Open the e-mail message and click the link (Fig. 2).

     

    Figure 2
    Fig. 2

     

  2. This will open the Certificate Manager site to download your certificate (Fig. 3). NOTE: This link can only be used once, so click it when you have the time to complete the entire process (less than 5 minutes).
    Figure 3
    Fig. 3

    The User Registration browser window will already have the “Code” and “Email” fields filled in. These values will be the same as those in the email notification.
     

  3. Pick a password or a PIN you can remember and enter it in the “Password” field and re-type it where shown in Fig. 4 (red arrows), then enter a password or PIN in the “Passphrase” field and re-type it where shown. For ease of use, use the same value for both the “Password” and the “Passphrase”. When installing on your computer, most applications ask for a password, but some may ask for a passphrase; using the same value for both avoids confusion. Remember this value and store is securely.
    Figure 4
    Fig. 4
  4. At the bottom of the User Registration window, click the checkbox next to I have read and agree to the terms of the Sectigo Client Certificate EULA (Fig. 5).
    Figure 5
    Fig. 5
  5. When the “Sectigo EULA” window appears (Fig. 6), click OK.
    Figure 6
    Fig. 6
  6. When the EULA has been accepted, the “Submit” button will become available (Fig. 7). Click the “Submit” button.
    Figure 7
    Fig. 7
  7. Once the user registration is complete, you will be presented with the “Digital Certificate download” window (Fig. 8). Click the “Download” button.
    Figure 8
    Fig. 8
  8. You may now minimize or close your browser.
    Go to the far right on your Dock, and click on the download stack (Fig. 9).
    Figure 9
    Fig. 9
  9. When the download stack extends, find your digital certificate file and drag it on to your desktop (Fig. 10). Your certificate file will be named “#####_uthscsa_edu.p12”, where “#####” is your University username.
    Figure 10
    Fig. 10
  10. Once you’ve dragged your certificate file to the desktop (Fig. 11), copy the file and store it and the password you used to download it in a secure location. You will need them if you want to re-install the certificate on your computer or install it on a new computer or other device. You may install the certificate on as many devices as you are authorized.
    Figure 11
    Fig. 11

You are now ready to install your certificate on your Mac device.