If you are a Japanese Software Publisher, please click here for instructions in Japanese. When customers buy software in a store, the source of that software is obvious.
Customers can tell who published the software, and they can see whether the package has been opened.
The Internet lacks the subtle information provided by packaging, shelf space, shrink wrap, and the like. Without an assurance of the software's integrity, and without knowing who published the software, it's difficult for customers to know how much to trust software. It's difficult to make the choice of downloading the software from the Internet. Authenticode communicates to customers the real identity of the publisher and assures them that the product has not been altered or damaged. For users of Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 or later, Authenticode provides accountability similar to that of a shrink-wrapped software box for code available over the Internet.