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Digital Certificates

Obtaining a certificate using Internet Explorer

Do you want to know more about certificates and why you may want to use them? Read Making Sense of Digital Certificates for a short overview.

Important Notes. Please read before you begin:

If you have a desktop support person, we strongly recommend that you schedule time for them to help you with this process. The Help Desk can also assist you.

Complete this process on the computer where you plan to use encryption, if at all possible. The process immediately stores two certificate files on your computer, one for signing and one for encryption. Do not perform this process on a computer where you do not have a designated user name.

Perform this procedure after you have been authorized to download a certificate. You will receive an e-mail message with these instructions if you are authorized.

  1. Print these instructions. This process requires multiple steps in different programs and windows.
  2. Go to https://certificates.austin.utexas.edu/. (Opens in a new window.)
  3. Check the bottom of the browser window to see whether it says “Trusted Sites”

    Trusted site with green checkmark from Internet Explorer status bar.

    If it does not, please perform the following steps before you continue:
    • From the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
    • In the Security tab, click Trusted Sites.
    • Click the Sites button.
    • Where it says Add this website to the zone, enter “certificates.austin.utexas.edu”.
    • Click Add.
    • Click Close.
    • For Vista only, set the Security Level for the Trusted Sites zone to Medium.
    • Click OK.

      If the settings in the instructions are grayed out or otherwise unavailable, this means that your desktop administrator has configured your computer so that you cannot change the settings. Do not proceed. Contact your desktop administrator to enable you to change the settings or to make the change for you.
  4. Log into the Digital Certificates Enrollment page with your UT EID and password.
  5. Click Download Certificate in the left-hand menu.
  6. Click Submit.
  7. When prompted to request the certificate, click Yes.
  8. When prompted about creating the new RSA signature key, leave the security level at Medium and click OK.
  9. Wait while the certificate is being generated.
  10. When prompted to allow the program to add the certificates now, click Yes.
  11. You will receive a confirmation message that the certificate has been installed. Click OK.
  12. Copy or print the password provided on the Web page. You will need this to save the encryption certificate to the Windows Certificate Store.
  13. Click Download P12 File.
  14. Click Run. This begins the process of saving your encryption certificate to the Windows Certificate Store.
  15. In the Certificate Import Wizard Dialog, click Next.
  16. Specify the location of the certificate file if it is not already displaying in the field and click Next.
  17. Enter the password from step 12 and select the following options:
    • Clear the Enable Strong Private Key protection option.
    • Select the Mark this key as exportable option. This allows you to export the file back out of the Windows Certificate Store to create backups. Click Next.
  18. Make sure the default option Automatically select the certificate store based on the type of certificate is selected and click Next.
  19. The application displays a summary of the settings. Click Finish. Go to the main Help page for instructions on setting up your e-mail to use certificates and backing up your certificates.