Investing in security is a necessity in the digital landscape. It is shared by all businesses despite having different goals. It is also an investment in productivity. Hackers spare no one and target every little loophole, and if you are not careful enough, you might fall victim to their threats.
With the recent increase in hacking incidents, we must let our users know that we are credible and prevent possible tampering of our software online. One of the best ways to do so is by providing a proof of legitimacy free from tampering. Not only does this protect your software, but also boosts your company’s reputation.
Why exactly is code signing important? It helps eliminate any doubt from the users’ end. It also assures the developer that their codes are protected from tampering. Code signing protects SMEs, large-scale businesses and software developers.
Once a software is distributed and published, there’s no full control over where it goes, who may acquire it, or what they may do with it. Avoiding possible tampering and losing credibility when the software falls on the wrong hands can be as simple as obtaining a code signing certificate.
Authorized Certificate Authorities (CAs) aim to prevent these risks from happening and protect online users. In a world where the highest criminals on the loose look for not physical things to steal, but identities and data, there’s a lot at stake.
It’s not merely obtaining a code signing certificate per se, but obtaining such from a credible CA is just as important, as recent news reveals that hackers are selling legitimate code signing certificates to evade malware detection. As the article suggests, some hackers offer counterfeit code signing certificates at a very low price. While it may be tempting to purchase them, it is not recommended. When purchasing a certificate, the credibility of the issuing CA should be a priority, and the certificates should not be purchased from unfamiliar third party vendors.
Let us look at the two variations of code signing and which of the two would best suit your industry.
Standard vs. EV Code Signing Certificates
Standard Code Signing certificates display the organization’s name in the certificate and removes the “unknown publisher” security warnings. This is vital especially since you want your customers to know that the code is from a verified and legitimate source and is unmodified and untampered since it’s been signed.
On the other hand, EV (Extended Validation) Code Signing certificates build on the existing benefits of standard Code Signing certificates to offer stronger levels of assurance that the identity of the publisher is correct and has been verified.
Moreover, the immediate reputation with Microsoft SmartScreen Filter removes scare warning messages to end users that the application might be malicious
After applying Code Signing certificates, you can apply timestamping to prove when the signature was placed and enable long-term validation, which means the signature remains valid even after the certificate expires. Timestamping service usually is included with Standard Code Signing or EV Code Signing Certificates.
GlobalSign offers all these benefits and you can sign an unlimited number of applications with immediate reputation with Microsoft SmartScreen. Our Code Signing Certificates are compatible with major platforms, with multiple storage options. To learn more, click here. You may visit our official website for more details.
