Assurance Details

NOTE:

the Assurance Policy (POLICY) is the primary ruling document for all Assurance. Consult that document before relying on the below.

NOTE:

all useful info should move to AssuranceHandbook2 which may deprecate this page. Consult that document in preference to the below.

Introduction

The most important thing for CAcert is trust. Assurance Points indicate how high your trust level is and this page is all about how to get and issure these points.

If you don't want all the details you might want to read our

Receiving Assurance Points

The number of points you have indicates how likely it is that you're really the person that you claim to be. It's an indicator of how much CAcert can trust your identity. To do certain things in CAcert.org you need a certain trust level.

You receive these points by getting assured. Don't mix it with the password quality points. This has nothing to do with assurance at all!

TTP - Trusted Third Party

Trusted Third Party programme

WoT/CAP - Web of Trust and CAcert Assurance Program

In short: find an assurer via the list on CAcert (Web of Trust section) and meet with him/her.

Find out more on

Getting Points at Big Events

Sometimes there are events where you can get your full assurance on the spot. See the UpcomingEvents section of this website and read the http://blog.cacert.org (or it's RSS feed: http://blog.cacert.org/wp-rss2.php).

See also

Please be aware of that on big events are a lot of people geting assured and so the Assurances take time. It can be take several days to weeks if there was a big event like the CeBit or so. Please please be patience up to everything is processed.

Becoming an Assurer

If you are fully assured, you can take the AssurerChallenge and become an Assurer yourself, as described in the Assurance Policy (DRAFT) and the AssuranceHandbook2.

Getting Points as an Organisation

* Also read Information for CAcert Assurers

More Points, More Privileges

Depending on the number of points you have you can do different things on CAcert.org.

See What can CAcert provide to you, to increase your privacy and security for free?

Questions

Q. Can I lose points?

A. There are plans to establish a system that reduces the number points you have. On the one hand that's for security. It forces you to get reassured every now and then. On the other hand it strengthens the Web of Trust.

Q. Suppose 3 persons go through the trouble of being assured with 150 points. Is there anything that prevents them from certifying 3 times ( 105 points ) other 25 non-existent names, who also certify amongst themselves to reach 150 points and so on ?

A. Unfortunately No.

Q. I have an Account with more than one E-mail Adress in it. Do I have to assure all of my E-Mail Adresses and fill out as many CAPs as I have E-Mail Adresses ?

A. Currently, only the main address (default primary E-mail address) will be used for the Assurance.


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