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Version
This field displays the X.509 version number.
Serial Number
This field displays the certificate’s identification number given by the device
that created the certificate.
Subject
This field displays information that identifies the owner of the certificate, such
as Common Name (CN), Organizational Unit (OU), Organization (O) and
Country (C).
Issuer
This field displays identifying information about the default self-signed
certificate on the ZyXEL Device that the ZyXEL Device uses to sign the trusted
remote host certificates.
Signature Algorithm
This field displays the type of algorithm that the ZyXEL Device used to sign the
certificate, which is rsa-pkcs1-sha1 (RSA public-private key encryption
algorithm and the SHA1 hash algorithm).
Valid From
This field displays the date that the certificate becomes applicable. The text
displays in red and includes a Not Yet Valid! message if the certificate has not
yet become applicable.
Valid To
This field displays the date that the certificate expires. The text displays in red
and includes an Expiring! or Expired! message if the certificate is about to
expire or has already expired.
Key Algorithm
This field displays the type of algorithm that was used to generate the
certificate’s key pair (the ZyXEL Device uses RSA encryption) and the length
of the key set in bits (1024 bits for example).
Subject Alternative
Name
This field displays the certificate’s owner‘s IP address (IP), domain name
(DNS) or e-mail address (EMAIL).
Key Usage
This field displays for what functions the certificate’s key can be used. For
example, “DigitalSignature” means that the key can be used to sign certificates
and “KeyEncipherment” means that the key can be used to encrypt text.
Basic Constraint
This field displays general information about the certificate. For example,
Subject Type=CA means that this is a certification authority’s certificate and
“Path Length Constraint=1” means that there can only be one certification
authority in the certificate’s path.
MD5 Fingerprint
This is the certificate’s message digest that the ZyXEL Device calculated using
the MD5 algorithm. You cannot use this value to verify that this is the remote
host’s correct certificate because the ZyXEL Device has signed the certificate;
thus causing this value to be different from that of the remote host’s correct
certificate. See
Section 12.6.3 on page 207
for how to verify a remote host’s
certificate.
SHA1 Fingerprint
This is the certificate’s message digest that the ZyXEL Device calculated using
the SHA1 algorithm. You cannot use this value to verify that this is the remote
host’s correct certificate because the ZyXEL Device has signed the certificate;
thus causing this value to be different from that of the remote host’s correct
certificate. See
Section 12.6.3 on page 207
for how to verify a remote host’s
certificate.
Certificate in PEM
(Base-64) Encoded
Format
This read-only text box displays the certificate or certification request in Privacy
Enhanced Mail (PEM) format. PEM uses 64 ASCII characters to convert the
binary certificate into a printable form.
You can copy and paste the certificate into an e-mail to send to friends or
colleagues or you can copy and paste the certificate into a text editor and save
the file on a management computer for later distribution (via floppy disk for
example).
Back
Click this to return to the previous screen without saving.
Export
Click this and then
Save
in the
File Download
screen. The
Save As
screen
opens, browse to the location that you want to use and click
Save
.
Table 75
Trusted Remote Host Details (continued)
LABEL
DESCRIPTION
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12.5
The Directory Servers Screens
This screen displays a summary list of directory servers (that contain lists of valid and revoked
certificates) that have been saved into the ZyXEL Device. If you decide to have the ZyXEL
Device check incoming certificates against the issuing certification authority’s list of revoked
certificates, the ZyXEL Device first checks the server(s) listed in the
CRL Distribution
Points
field of the incoming certificate. If the certificate does not list a server or the listed
server is not available, the ZyXEL Device checks the servers listed here. Click
Security
>
Certificates
>
Directory Servers
to open the
Directory Servers
screen.
Figure 118
Directory Servers
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Apply
Click this to save your changes. You can only change the name of the
certificate.
Cancel
Click this to restore your previously saved settings.
Table 75
Trusted Remote Host Details (continued)
LABEL
DESCRIPTION
Table 76
Directory Servers
LABEL
DESCRIPTION
PKI Storage
Space in Use
This bar displays the percentage of the ZyXEL Device’s PKI storage space that is
currently in use. The bar turns from green to red when the maximum is being
approached. When the bar is red, you should consider deleting expired or
unnecessary certificates before adding more certificates.
#
The index number of the directory server. The servers are listed in alphabetical
order.
Name
This field displays the name used to identify this directory server.
Address
This field displays the IP address or domain name of the directory server.
Port
This field displays the port number that the directory server uses.
Protocol
This field displays the protocol that the directory server uses.
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12.5.1
Directory Server Add and Edit
Use this screen to configure information about a directory server that the ZyXEL Device can
access. Click
Security
>
Certificates
>
Directory Servers
to open the
Directory Servers
screen. Click
Add
(or the details
icon) to open the
Directory Server Add
screen.
Figure 119
Directory Server Add and Edit
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Modify
Click the Edit
icon to open a screen where you can change the information about
the directory server.
Click the Remove
icon to remove the directory server entry. A window displays
asking you to confirm that you want to delete the directory server. Note that
subsequent certificates move up by one when you take this action.
Add
Click this to open a screen where you can configure information about a directory
server so that the ZyXEL Device can access it.
Table 76
Directory Servers
LABEL
DESCRIPTION
Table 77
Directory Server Add and Edit
LABEL
DESCRIPTION
Directory Service Setting
Name
Type up to 31 ASCII characters (spaces are not permitted) to identify this
directory server.
Access Protocol
Use the drop-down list box to select the access protocol used by the directory
server.
LDAP
(Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is a protocol over TCP that
specifies how clients access directories of certificates and lists of revoked
certificates.
A
Server Address
Type the IP address (in dotted decimal notation) or the domain name of the
directory server.
Server Port
This field displays the default server port number of the protocol that you select in
the
Access Protocol
field.
You may change the server port number if needed, however you must use the
same server port number that the directory server uses.
389 is the default server port number for LDAP.
Login Setting
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12.6
Certificates Technical Reference
This section provides technical background information about the topics covered in this
chapter.
12.6.1
Certificates Overview
The ZyXEL Device can use certificates (also called digital IDs) to authenticate users.
Certificates are based on public-private key pairs. A certificate contains the certificate owner’s
identity and public key. Certificates provide a way to exchange public keys for use in
authentication.
The ZyXEL Device uses certificates based on public-key cryptology to authenticate users
attempting to establish a connection, not to encrypt the data that you send after establishing a
connection. The method used to secure the data that you send through an established
connection depends on the type of connection. For example, a VPN tunnel might use the triple
DES encryption algorithm.
The certification authority uses its private key to sign certificates. Anyone can then use the
certification authority’s public key to verify the certificates.
A certification path is the hierarchy of certification authority certificates that validate a
certificate. The ZyXEL Device does not trust a certificate if any certificate on its path has
expired or been revoked.
Certification authorities maintain directory servers with databases of valid and revoked
certificates. A directory of certificates that have been revoked before the scheduled expiration
is called a CRL (Certificate Revocation List). The ZyXEL Device can check a peer’s
certificate against a directory server’s list of revoked certificates. The framework of servers,
software, procedures and policies that handles keys is called PKI (Public-Key Infrastructure).
Advantages of Certificates
Certificates offer the following benefits.
The ZyXEL Device only has to store the certificates of the certification authorities that
you decide to trust, no matter how many devices you need to authenticate.
Login
The ZyXEL Device may need to authenticate itself in order to assess the directory
server. Type the login name (up to 31 ASCII characters) from the entity
maintaining the directory server (usually a certification authority).
Password
Type the password (up to 31 ASCII characters) from the entity maintaining the
directory server (usually a certification authority).
Back
Click this to return to the
Directory Servers
screen.
Apply
Click this to save your changes.
Cancel
Click this to restore your previously saved settings.
A.
At the time of writing, LDAP is the only choice of directory server access protocol.
Table 77
Directory Server Add and Edit (continued)
LABEL
DESCRIPTION
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Key distribution is simple and very secure since you can freely distribute public keys and
you never need to transmit private keys.
Self-signed Certificates
You can have the ZyXEL Device act as a certification authority and sign its own certificates.
12.6.2
Private-Public Certificates
When using public-key cryptology for authentication, each host has two keys. One key is
public and can be made openly available. The other key is private and must be kept secure.
These keys work like a handwritten signature (in fact, certificates are often referred to as
“digital signatures”). Only you can write your signature exactly as it should look. When
people know what your signature looks like, they can verify whether something was signed by
you, or by someone else. In the same way, your private key “writes” your digital signature and
your public key allows people to verify whether data was signed by you, or by someone else.
This process works as follows.
1
Tim wants to send a message to Jenny. He needs her to be sure that it comes from him,
and that the message content has not been altered by anyone else along the way. Tim
generates a public key pair (one public key and one private key).
2
Tim keeps the private key and makes the public key openly available. This means that
anyone who receives a message seeming to come from Tim can read it and verify
whether it is really from him or not.
3
Tim uses his private key to sign the message and sends it to Jenny.
4
Jenny receives the message and uses Tim’s public key to verify it. Jenny knows that the
message is from Tim, and that although other people may have been able to read the
message, no-one can have altered it (because they cannot re-sign the message with Tim’s
private key).
5
Additionally, Jenny uses her own private key to sign a message and Tim uses Jenny’s
public key to verify the message.
12.6.3
Verifying a Trusted Remote Host’s Certificate
Certificates issued by certification authorities have the certification authority’s signature for
you to check. Self-signed certificates only have the signature of the host itself. This means that
you must be very careful when deciding to import (and thereby trust) a remote host’s self-
signed certificate.
Trusted Remote Host Certificate Fingerprints
A certificate’s fingerprints are message digests calculated using the MD5 or SHA1 algorithms.
The following procedure describes how to use a certificate’s fingerprint to verify that you have
the remote host’s correct certificate.
1
Browse to where you have the remote host’s certificate saved on your computer.
2
Make sure that the certificate has a “.cer” or “.crt” file name extension.

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