This article will explain what digital certificates are and how to use them.

In the physical world, you protect your written correspondence by putting it in an envelope before mailing.

In the online world, sending an email message is like sending a postcard: it is easy to read as it travels across the Internet.

One option to protect your email messages is to use a digital certificate. Most popular email clients allow you to sign in and encrypt email messages with the click of a button. The University of Arizona now offers a digital certificate service for students, faculty, and staff who wish to digitally protect their emails and documents.

Below are the different methods of digital certificates and will demonstrate how to use them properly.