FAQs: General Guidelines for Exporting, Importing, and Using Digital Certificates

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What is a digital certificate?

A digital certificate is an electronic key to ISO New England websites, such as the SMD Applications site that hosts the Customer and Asset Management System (CAMS) and other applications, and the secure web locations that host certain Planning Advisory Committee (PAC) and Reliability Committee (RC) materials. Digital certificates do not control the specific role or access in an application; rather, they serve to identify a person.

Certificates are unique to individuals and should not be shared, unless the individuals use a common PC or an automated system that supports transactions with ISO New England systems.

A person cannot access most ISO applications without a digital certificate; however, the certificates are issued automatically the first time a person is given access to an ISO application or file-share group that requires a certificate. Digital certificates must be renewed annually.

The CAMS User Guide for Digital Certificates is available to security administrators upon request. (Contact Customer Service for a current copy.)

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What are the general guidelines when using a digital certificate?

Certificate holders should keep a password-protected backup of the certificate in a safe and secure location. See “How does a customer export a digital certificate?” for instructions on creating a backup file.
If using a common personal computer, or where additional security is needed, the use of the certificate should be password-protected. See “How does a customer import a digital certificate?” for instructions on setting the security level to high when using a certificate.

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How does a customer export a digital certificate?

Note: These steps assume that the customer has already picked up a certificate. When the ISO issues a certificate, it provides instructions via email on how to pick up the certificate.

Open Mozilla Firefox (version 10 or greater) or Internet Explorer browser (version 8.x or higher).
Select Tools → Options from the Firefox menu bar.
Select Tools → Internet Options from the Internet Explorer menu bar.
Select the Content tab.
Click the Certificates button.
Highlight your certificate for ISO New England.
Select the Export button.
Click the Next button.
Click “Yes, export the private key.”
Click the Next button.
The following button and boxes should be checked:
- Personal Information Exchange – PKCS #12 (.PFX)
- Include all certificates in the certification path if possible
Click the Next button.
Enter a password to protect the file being exported.
Re-enter the password to confirm it.
Click the Next button.
Click the Browse button.
The Save As dialog box will appear. Navigate to the location, enter a name and click the Save button to backup the certificate.
Click the Next button.
Click Finish.
“The export was successful” message box will then appear.

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How does a customer import a digital certificate?

Open the Internet Explorer browser (version 5.5 or higher).
Select Tools → Internet Options from the Internet Explorer menu bar.
Select the Content tab.
Click the Certificates button.
Select the Import button. A “Welcome to the Certificate Import Wizard” box will open.
Click the Next button.
Click the Browse button and navigate to where you saved your exported certificate by first changing “Files of type:” to “All files (*.*)”
Select your file and click the Open button.
Click the Next button.
You will be prompted to type the password for the private key.
- Enter the password that you used to export your certificate.
- Click “Mark this key as exportable. This will allow you to back up or transport your keys at a later time.”
Click the Next button.
Click “Automatically select the certificate store based on type of certificate.”
Click the Next button.
Click Finish.
Click “Set Security Level” on the “Importing a new private exchange key” box.
Select “High: Request my permission with a password when this item is to be used.”
Click the Next button.
Enter and confirm the password for the certificate. Note: This is the password a user will be prompted for when attempting to use the certificate.
Click Finish.
Click OK.
You should get the message “The import was successful.”
Click OK.