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Digital Certificate

What is Digital Certificate?

An electronic document that uses a digital signature to bind a public key with an identity. Digital certificates are issued by Certificate Authorities and used in TLS/SSL, email encryption, and code signing.

Information Security

What the standards actually require on digital certificate

Requirements naming digital certificate across 6 standards, quoted from the control text.

Authenticate access to systems, applications and data, using multifactor authentication at minimum for privileged users and sensitive data, and digital certificates or equivalent strength for system identities.

CCM-IAM-14 · Strong Authentication →

Define, put in place and assess processes, procedures and technical measures that authenticate access to systems, applications and data, with multifactor authentication for least-privileged users and for access to sensitive data, and use digital certificates o...

cloud-security-alliance-cloud-controls-matrix-ccm-v4-1::IAM-13 · Strong Authentication →

Multifactor techniques such as tokens or digital certificates are used for employee access to the high-risk systems the risk assessment identifies; not applicable where there are none.

ffiec-cybersecurity-assessment-tool-cat::D3.PC.Am.Int.6 · D3.PC.Am.Int.6 Access and Data Management (Intermediate 6) →

Further health information: ISO 17090-3 gives guidance on policy for issuing and using digital certificates in healthcare and on key management; the ISO/IEC 27002 control applies otherwise unchanged.

iso-27799-2025::8.24 · 8.24 Use of cryptography →

LoA4 gives very high confidence in the identity and is meant for high risk. It adds to LoA3 the requirement that human entities are proofed in person and that every secret or private cryptographic key is kept in tamper-resistant hardware;

iso-iec-29115-2013-entity-authentication-assurance-framework::6.4 · 6.4 Level of assurance 4 (LoA4) →
PCI DSS 4.01 control

All user access to system components by users and administrators must be authenticated with at least one of these factors: a knowledge factor (for example a password or passphrase); a possession factor (for example a smart card or token device);

8.3.1 · 8.3.1 Access authenticated with at least one factor →

Questions people ask about digital certificate

What is Digital Certificate?
An electronic document that uses a digital signature to bind a public key with an identity. Digital certificates are issued by Certificate Authorities and used in TLS/SSL, email encryption, and code signing.
Why is Digital Certificate important for compliance?
Digital Certificate is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding digital certificate helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 1,016 frameworks with 316K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Digital Certificate?
Digital Certificate appears in the requirement text of Cloud Security Alliance Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) v4.0.1, Cloud Security Alliance Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) v4.1, FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool (CAT), ISO 27799:2025, ISO/IEC 29115:2013 - Entity Authentication Assurance Framework. Across these standards we have identified 6 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Digital Certificate?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how digital certificate applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 1,016 frameworks.

See how Digital Certificate applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 1,016 frameworks with 316K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.