Digital Certificates

As an accredited certification services provider, QuoVadis offers an array of certificate policies suited to different purposes.

Certificate policies vary according to the identification and authentication requirements as well as the use of secure signature creation devices (SSCD).  QuoVadis certificates may be issued by a QuoVadis Registration Authority, or by a QuoVadis Trust/Link client.

The most frequently used QuoVadis certificate policies include:

Qualified Certificates

Qualified Certificates are designed to fulfil the requirements of ETSI TS 101.456 and ETSI TS 101.862. They may only be issued by QuoVadis or its authorised Registration Authorities (RA) following a face-to-face verification of the user and government-issued photographic identification.

Qualified Certificates must be issued on a compliant SSCD container such as a PKI smartcard or USB token. Qualified Certificates can only be used for electronic signatures. Qualified electronic signatures are admissible as proof, and have the direct legal effect of handwritten signatures.

Qualified Certificates may only be issued to natural persons, in their personal capacity or as a corporate/organisational representative (if that organisation, relationship, and authority has also been verified). The Qualified Certificate may use a pseudonym instead of the name of the certificate holder.

Advanced Certificates

Advanced Certificates also provide reliable vetting of the holder’s identity but may be used for a wider range of applications including digital signatures, encryption, and authentication. They may be issued by QuoVadis or its authorised RAs on the basis of face-to-face verification or receipt of notarised documents. They may also be issued by corporate RAs using the Trust/Link system to their employees and counterparties.

Advanced Certificates may be issued on SSCD or in soft format. Advanced electronic signatures are admissible as proof and have legal effect, which must be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Advanced Certificates may only be issued to natural persons, in their personal capacity or as a corporate/organisational representative (if that organisation, relationship, and authority has also been verified). Advanced Certificates may use pseudonyms.