Skip to content
SynAc
Term

certificate user

A system entity that depends on the validity of information (such as another entity's public key value) provided by a digital certificate. (See: relying party. Compare: /digital certificate/ subject.)

Senses

1 (I)

A system entity that depends on the validity of information (such as another entity's public key value) provided by a digital certificate. (See: relying party. Compare: /digital certificate/ subject.)

Usage: The depending entity may be a human being or an organization, or a device or process controlled by a human or organization. (See: user.)

References
  • IETF RFC 4949 (Internet Security Glossary)Jan 06, 2026
    RFC 4949 — Internet Security Glossary (Version 2)
    https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc4949.txt
    RFC 4949 is published by the IETF Trust and marked as "Distribution of this memo is unlimited". Verify IETF Trust copyright/licensing terms for reuse.
    Source: IETF RFC 4949 (rfc-editor.org).
2 (O)

"An entity that needs to know, with certainty, the public key of another entity." [X509]

References
  • IETF RFC 4949 (Internet Security Glossary)Jan 06, 2026
    RFC 4949 — Internet Security Glossary (Version 2)
    https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc4949.txt
    RFC 4949 is published by the IETF Trust and marked as "Distribution of this memo is unlimited". Verify IETF Trust copyright/licensing terms for reuse.
    Source: IETF RFC 4949 (rfc-editor.org).
3 (D)

Synonym for "subject" of a digital certificate.

Deprecated Definition: IDOCs SHOULD NOT use this term with definition 3; the term could be confused with one of the other two definitions given above.

References
  • IETF RFC 4949 (Internet Security Glossary)Jan 06, 2026
    RFC 4949 — Internet Security Glossary (Version 2)
    https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc4949.txt
    RFC 4949 is published by the IETF Trust and marked as "Distribution of this memo is unlimited". Verify IETF Trust copyright/licensing terms for reuse.
    Source: IETF RFC 4949 (rfc-editor.org).