Patent ID: 6988196

Claim:
A method in a computer system for employing a digital certificate, for use only within said computer system, to authenticate operations internal to said computer system, said method comprising: storing a master key pair and data specifying an authentication code in a protected storage within a security subsystem, wherein said master key pair comprises a first private key and a first public key and said first private key and said authentication code are inaccessible outside of said security subsystem; receiving a request to generate a digital certificate at said security subsystem; generating a user prompt for said authentication code in response to a receipt of said request to generate said digital certificate; receiving a reply from a user in response to a generation of said user prompt; and processing said request to generate said digital certificate in response to a receipt of said reply, wherein said processing comprises generating said digital certificate utilizing said first private key only if said reply is determined to correctly specify said authentication code, wherein said digital certificate comprises data specifying a second public key of a target key pair.