Code Signing Working Group

Code Signing Working Group

The CA/Browser Forum’s Code Signing Working Group, chartered to develop Baseline Requirements to reduce the incidences of signed malware on Windows and Java Platforms. as published:

Baseline Requirements for Code Signing Certificates, Public Comment Draft (doc)

Baseline Requirements for Code Signing Certificates, Public Comment Draft (pdf)

Once approved by the CA/B Forum and subsequent audit standards are created, all Certificate Authorities will be obligated to follow these Requirements when issuing and managing code signing certificates.

The goals of this project and resulting document, referenced above, are as follows:

1. Create uniform identification and vetting procedures that all Certificate Authorities must follow when issuing code signing certificates
2. Identify ways to stop the theft of private keys and prevent key compromise by increasing the required levels of key protection
3. Identify origins of malware (geographic and otherwise) and implement procedures to reduce the incidence of signed malware
4. Document standards for code signing “services” which store private code-signing keys in cloud-based service offerings

Users, software developers, and operating system providers are asked to carefully review this document and provide comments to the CA/B Forum by October 30, 2014.

Those comments will be reviewed for incorporation into the final Baseline Requirements for Code Signing Certificates.

Comments should be sent to questions@cabforum.org.

Thanks,
The Code Signing Working Group