Security certificates
Deakin University
A digital certificate is used to authenticate an identity. Documents can have these associated with them. The certificate acts like an online passport which has been "signed" by a trusted third party. The Library uses a certificate to assist in the protection of the authentication details of Deakin University students and staff who make remote connections to the online resources provided by the Library. The security keys used by the certificate ensure that the private authentication details are encrypted as they are passed over the web.
The Library recommends that you accept and install the library 'ezproxy' certificate. This is usually just a case of following the browser prompts to either accept or install the certificate issued by the library: ezproxy-f.lib.deakin.edu.au
For more information on certificates, Mozilla has a Using certificates page on their web site. Microsoft has details on Internet Explorer 6: Using Digital Certificates on their site.
Periodically a new copy of a certificate is required. This may require that an existing or old version of that certificate is deleted from your browser settings. The various web browsers allow you to do this in different ways. Brief instructions based on the help information from the browser are listed below. If your browser is not mentioned, use the Help option and search for help on "Certificates". Sometimes both current and 'expired' ezproxy-f.lib.deakin.edu.au may be listed in your browser settings. In this case just delete the 'expired' version of ezproxy-f.lib.deakin.edu.au. You will then be able to install the new version if required.
Internet Explorer 6.0 | Mozilla 1.7 | Mozilla Firefox 1.5 | Netscape Navigator 4.7
Internet Explorer 6.0
To view security certificates
1. On the Tools menu in Internet Explorer, click Internet Options.
2. Click the Content tab.
3. In the Certificates area, click the Certificates buttons to view the list of current certificates that you trust.
4. Click the Trusted Root Certification Authorities tab.
5. Highlight the certificate you want to delete, and click the Remove button.
If a Deakin exproxy certificate is listed with an expiry date that has passed, you can safely remove it.
You can then install a new certificate if prompted when you next go to connect to a site through the browser.
Mozilla 1.7
If you are not currently viewing the Certificate Manager window, follow these steps:
1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
2. Under the Privacy and Security category, click Certificates. (If no subcategories are visible, double-click Privacy and Security to expand the list.)
3. Click Manage Certificates.
In this section you see:
Your Certificates, Other People's Certificates, Web Site Certificates, Authorities
4. Click the Web Sites tab
The Web Sites tab in the Certificate Manager displays certificates you have on file that identify web sites.
Web site certificates are grouped under the names of the organizations that issued them:
* If you can't see certificate names under an organization's name, double-click the name.
* To select a certificate, click its name.
* To select more than one certificate, hold down the Control key and click their names.
5. To perform the following actions, select the certificates on which you want to act and click one of these buttons:
View: Display detailed information about the selected certificates.
Edit: View or change the trust settings that Certificate Manager associates with the selected certificates. You can use these settings to designate a web site certificate as one that you trust or don't trust for identification purposes.
Delete: Delete the selected certificates.
If a Deakin exproxy certificate is listed as expired, you can safely remove it.
You can then install a new certificate if prompted when you next go to connect to a site through the browser.
Mozilla Firefox 1.5
If you are not currently viewing the Certificate Manager window, follow these steps:
1. Open the Tools menu and choose Options.
2. Under the Advanced tab, click View Certificates.
3. Click Manage Certificates.
In the Certificate Manager view you see:
Your Certificates, Other People's , Web Sites , Authorities
4. Click the Web Sites tab
The Web Sites tab in the Certificate Manager displays certificates you have on file that identify web sites.
Web site certificates are grouped under the names of the organizations that issued them:
* If you can't see certificate names under an organization's name, double-click the name.
* To select a certificate, click its name.
* To select more than one certificate, hold down the Control key and click their names.
5. To perform the following actions, select the certificates on which you want to act and click one of these buttons:
View: Display detailed information about the selected certificates.
Edit: View or change the trust settings that Certificate Manager associates with the selected certificates. You can use these settings to designate a web site certificate as one that you trust or don't trust for identification purposes.
Delete: Delete the selected certificates.
If a Deakin exproxy certificate is listed as expired, you can safely remove it.
You can then install a new certificate if prompted when you next go to connect to a site through the browser.
Netscape Navigator 4.7
To view, verify, or delete your certificates:
1. Open the Security Info window by clicking the padlock icon in the browser toolbar. From the dialog window, select Certificates, then Web Sites.
2. Choose and highlight a Certificate from the list then click Delete.
3. Click OK to delete the certificate.
You can then install a new certificate if prompted when you next go to connect to a site through the browser.
