A trusted component of a computing device for verifying a digital certificate for authenticating a corresponding element, the certificate issued by an issuer for being verified by the trusted component to authenticate the element, the verification including ensuring that the certificate is not revoked, the trusted component being adapted to: determine an identification of an entity as having authority over the certificate to revoke same as delegated by the issuer, the delegated revocation authority revoking the certificate by identifying same in a revocation list, wherein the identification of the delegated revocation authority comprises a public key thereof, and wherein the revocation list from the delegated revocation authority is digitally signed by a private key of the delegated revocation authority corresponding to the public key thereof and is verifiable by such public key; and determine at least one revocation condition relating to possible revocation of the certificate, each revocation condition having to be satisfied when the certificate is employed to authenticate the element, wherein to employ a certificate, revocation conditions existing in the certificate are determined and examined, wherein, where a revocation condition requires obtaining a particular revocation list even though no corresponding revocation condition specifies a public key corresponding to said particular revocation list, the particular revocation list is obtained but not employed in connection with the certificate at issue, and wherein, where a revocation condition specifies a public key corresponding to a particular revocation list even though no corresponding revocation condition requires obtaining the particular revocation list, the particular revocation list is not obtained but is employed in connection with the certificate at issue if present. determine an identification of an entity as having authority over the certificate to revoke same as delegated by the issuer, the delegated revocation authority revoking the certificate by identifying same in a revocation list, wherein the identification of the delegated revocation authority comprises a public key thereof, and wherein the revocation list from the delegated revocation authority is digitally signed by a private key of the delegated revocation authority corresponding to the public key thereof and is verifiable by such public key; and determine at least one revocation condition relating to possible revocation of the certificate, each revocation condition having to be satisfied when the certificate is employed to authenticate the element, wherein to employ a certificate, revocation conditions existing in the certificate are determined and examined, wherein, where a revocation condition requires obtaining a particular revocation list even though no corresponding revocation condition specifies a public key corresponding to said particular revocation list, the particular revocation list is obtained but not employed in connection with the certificate at issue, and wherein, where a revocation condition specifies a public key corresponding to a particular revocation list even though no corresponding revocation condition requires obtaining the particular revocation list, the particular revocation list is not obtained but is employed in connection with the certificate at issue if present.