What you should know about a digital certificate
Before installing the digital certificate, it is important to know exactly what you are going to enter on your own iPad or iPhone. We tell you what you should know about it below.
What is a digital certificate
The digital certificate is a computer file electronically signed by a specialized service provider. Normally we always refer to public key certificates that are granted by a public body that verifies the signature with a specific signer. Within these certificates there is a key that is exclusively linked to your identity, being like a kind of DNI. And it is that in the own DNI these certificates can be found that can be renewed to be able to guarantee the security and also its authenticity.
But they are not limited to electronic DNIs since other public bodies also make this type of totally digital files available to users that can be stored and executed on iPads or iPhones. Without a doubt, if you need to identify yourself to the administration or to any private company, this certificate must always be installed so that your identity can be verified.
Main uses on your devices
Digital certificates are of vital importance today, especially in contact with the Public Administration. It allows you to identify yourself online in a comfortable and above all safe way to carry out different procedures as if you were doing them in person. Your signature will have full legal validity when completing different relevant procedures that would normally force you to go to an office in person.
In the case of a computer, this system of procedures can always be carried out with the electronic DNI itself. This forces you to have a reader always at hand to enter it and make the digital signature. In the case of an iPad or an iPhone, it cannot be done due to the limitations of the operating system itself. In these situations, it is always necessary to opt for digital certificates that can be installed comfortably as if it were a configuration profile such as a beta one. Having them installed is always highly recommended.
You can use the iPad or iPhone to carry out any type of data management or query. At the time of initiating a process at the moment it is possible to be detected the certificate at the moment to be identified comfortably. Obviously, you must also be very careful with this type of certificate, since it includes all your personal information and at any time it can be used to impersonate your identity. But it is not limited to public administration but can also be used before different private organizations to sign contracts, for example.
Installing the digital certificate
Once you take into account that it is necessary to install the certificate because it is useful for you to carry out the different procedures, we will tell you how it can be done on both an iPad and an iPhone.
Request the certificate on a computer
Before installing a certificate on iPad or iPhone, you must obtain it on a computer. In the event that you are in Spain, the most common and most widely used certificate is that of the FNMT (National Currency and Stamp Factory). This certificate cannot be downloaded directly to the iPad, but you will be forced to complete the process through its website on a Mac or PC. This is because the signature must always be made through the electronic DNI so it is necessary to be connected with the compatible reader and also have the necessary software to sign the certificate process.
Once all the procedure is done before the administration with the Mac, you will be able to download the encrypted file that you can install on the iPad. It is important to bear in mind that when downloading these files they will always be encrypted. It is important that you know the password you are going to choose in order to install them on the mobile device since they will ask you for the password you have selected.
Transfer it to your device
Once you have the electronic certificate on your Mac, it is time to transfer it to your iPad or iPhone. It can be passed quickly through the different channels that are available within the ecosystem. One of them is AirDrop, which is the most used by all and that can be used in the event that you have a Mac where you have carried out this ordinary procedure.
In the event that you have made the request for the certificate through a Windows PC, there are other systems to be able to make the transfer. Among the most prominent is WeTransfer itself or send it by email. Although you can also use other transfer systems such as WhatsApp or Telegram.
Perform the installation
Once you have the digital certificate file on your iPad or on your iPhone, you can install it comfortably. As is logical, you will have this file in the Files application to be able to keep it whenever possible in order to install it. In order to install it, the first thing you have to do is click on the file as if you wanted to open it normally. At the moment iPadOS or iOS will detect it as a profile, as if it were the installation of a new beta.
Once this is done, enter the Settings application. At the top you will find a section that will say ‘Downloaded profile’ on which you must click. Here you will see the information of the certificate that you are about to install. Keep in mind that in many cases the certificate can be categorized as an untrusted resource. But in the event that you have downloaded it from the official website, you will be able to trust this certificate without any problem. Once all this has been verified in the configuration window, you must click on the upper right corner where it says Install.
As a security measure, the PIN of the device you use to unlock it will be requested at the moment. Then it will be reported that the certificate has not been signed but it is something totally indifferent, and that you must ignore by clicking Install in the upper right corner again, confirming this action as long as you are sure that the download has been made from a trusted site. The operating system will then try to decrypt its content to access the stored information, but for this it will need the password that encrypts the data. Now is the time to enter it and from that moment on you will be able to use any type of digital certificate that you have installed.
Use the installed digital certificate
Once you have the certificate installed, it is time to use it on the different websites. The use is practically automatic since the installation is carried out in the root files of any browser that you have installed. This makes it much easier for it to be accessible to anyone and is not cumbersome at all. In addition, when the installation is done, it is no longer necessary to do another type of task so that it works correctly. It can be said that once it is installed you can completely worry about it since it will always be there until you have to renew it normally in periods of two years.
In order to use the certificate that you have installed, you will simply have to enter any page that requires a secure login. The clearest examples are those to request a medical appointment or request your medical history. Among the login options, an option of ‘Digital Certificate’ will appear and at the moment it will begin to load the page, throwing up a pop-up message. This will request permission to use the certificate showing your personal data such as name or origin. When you accept it, your personal data will be accessed with the maximum security that is allowed.
