Patent ID: 7143285

Claim:
A method of creating a proof of possession confirmation for inclusion by a certification authority into a digital certificate, the digital certificate for use by an end user, the method comprising: receiving, from the certification authority in response to a certificate request by the end user, a plurality of data fields corresponding to a target host system, the identity of the end user, and a proof of identity possession by the end user, said plurality of data fields Further comprising a host name, a subject identification, a subject public key information, and a scaled proof of possession; analyzing the content of said plurality of data fields by decrypting a proof of possession structure from said scaled proof of possession, extracting a password from said sealed proof of possession structure, extracting a key identifier from said proof of possession stricture and calculating a correct key identifier from said subject public key information; verifying the accuracy of said plurality of data fields; and if said plurality of data fields is verified as accurate, sending a signed object to the certification authority, said signed object comprising the proof of possession confirmation, wherein said proof of possession confirmation is constructed in a manner so as to prevent replay attacks by an impostor.