Frequently asked questions
What is the electronic certification ?
Electronic certification is the management process of the certificate life cycle. It relates to issuance, publication, renewal, change of information, suspension and revocation of digital certificates.
What is the electronic certificate ?
The electronic certificate is a tamper-proof digital file, containing, among other information, the owner, the certification authority that issued it, the use that one can make, the period of validity...
What does the Electronic Certificate ?
The electronic certificate brings three (03) important elements in the transactions:
- Strong authentication : the ability to uniquely identify the author of the transaction ;
- The electronic signature : the possibility of certifying electronic documents and shipments by affixing a digital fingerprint which has the same legal value as a handwritten signature ;
- Encryption : using the electronic certificate, we can make a text unreadable by any user other than the true recipient.
Where can you use e-certificate ?
The electronic certificate can be used in a digital system previously secured using the services of a certification authority. These online digital systems are commonly called e-services. These include e-government applications, e-commerce, e-banking, e-learning.
Who can get an electronic certificate?
All citizens may use electronic certificates to ensure the security of their communications and other Internet transactions. The terminals for such transactions may also use the certificates.
This means that digital certificates can be issued to individuals acting on their own account or on behalf of an organization, but also to servers, in order to allow secure connections between entities.
Who issues electronic certificates ?
Only a licensed certification authority is authorized to issue a qualified electronic certificate. For now, the Cameroonian public sector is served by ANTIC which ensures the role of Public Administration certification authority.
In the future, the certification authorities which will have been accredited by the ANTIC, will certify individuals and corporations from the private sector and civil society. It should be noted that the foreign certification authorities that have signed a mutual recognition agreement with the Cameroonian Government through the Minister for Telecommunications will also issue electronic certificates valid in Cameroon.
