What is a Code Signing Certificate?

A code signing certificate is technically not an SSL certificate. It is a certificate-based digital signature algorithm that verifies a piece of code has not been altered or corrupted since it was signed by the author. You can think of it as “digital shrink-wrap” that verifies code is authentic, increasing customer trust and willingness to download and install it. All major operating systems like Windows, Apple OS X, and Linux support code signing and use it themselves to ensure malicious code can’t be distributed through the patch system.

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How do I download my code signing certificate? How do I generate a Code Signing certificate? Do I need a CSR? Why can’t I download my code signing certificate? If I buy a Code Signing Certificate, which document(s) do I need to provide?