The first genuine digital certificate used by Stuxnet developers was from RealTek Semiconductor Corp.

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The trustworthiness of a digital certificate ultimately depends on how the issuer has safeguarded their digital ID.

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For instance, before the bank issues a certificate, the bank snail-mails a document containing unique information the customer must use to activate the digital certificate.

CNN: Technology - E-Signature Act may drive demand for authentication technology

Indeed, in 1998 Aberdeen concluded that Entrust was the most expensive digital-certificate supplier, compared with VeriSign and Netscape.

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The guarantee of identity is in the form of a digital passport known as a certificate.

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Up until now he hasn't seen the value in paying the monthly subscription fee for a service he barely has time to use, but when someone hands you a certificate for a free year of digital service, you're gonna accept.

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Even then, the service would not release digital assets without examining a copy of the customer's death certificate, Toeman said.

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