How do I Create a Self-Signed X.509 Digital Certificate?

Encrypt your data using a self-signed certificate on your server.

Digital certificates are used to encrypt the data between your server and the network clients. Self-signed certificates are created on the server, so users and developers can test the settings on the server. This includes testing desktop and website applications. You can quickly create a self-signed X.509 digital certificate using the "makecert" command in the Windows command line utility.

Instructions

1. Click the Windows "Start" button. Type "cmd" into the text box. Press "Enter" on your keyboard to open the command line.

2. Type "makecert /?" and press the "Enter" key. This shows you all the options and the correct syntax for the makecert command.

3. Type "makecert -sk key -r -n CN=<name>, outputfile.cer" into the command line utility and press "Enter." Replace "key" with your password key for the encryption. The "name" is the name of your server or organization's website. The "outputfile.cer" is the self-signed certificate file. When this command executes, the ".cer" file is created on your desktop.

Tips & Warnings

• After the certificate is created, you must install it on the server for it to take effect on your website or other desktop applications.

References

• Microsoft: Digital Code Signing Step-by-Step Guide