They are similar in that they are issued by the government, link a person’s name to a number, and expire after a certain period of time; however, they are different in that they need photographic identification and prove that the bearer is legally allowed to operate a motor vehicle. Also, each has its own unique serial number and expiration date, and the certificate authority’s signature. The differences are that, digital certificates make use of digital signatures, whilst drivers’ licenses are signed by an official. While verifying the digital certificate, the verifier will look up the public key associated with the digital certificate in order to check for digital signatures. When you go to verify your driver’s license, it will look at both the license itself and the photo connected to it to make sure they are legit. In addition, a digital certificate is defined as a digital document used to validate the ownership of a private key or to ascertain the identity of a public key holder. Certificates must be issued only after passing a rigorous and impartial authentication process.
However, a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC), issued by a trusted certification body, is required before digital signatures can be used (CA). Digital Certificates is used to cryptographically link the ownership of the public key with an individual who possesses the key. Credentials for accessing the internet. Digital signatures, in layman’s terms, are used to verify the identity of the signer and the sender of a document and protect all sensitive data, while digital certificates are used to authenticate the identity of the entity issuing the certificate. In the United States, a driver’s license is defined as proof that the bearer is legally allowed to drive a motor vehicle on public roads without another person present. Tare both signed by the central authority, have a unique number, and have a validity term linked with them. The opposite is true of digital certificates, which are described as electronic papers used to prove ownership of a public key. They are used for that purpose, as well as for identification verification. A driver’s license is a government-issued document valid only in the nation of issuance. The license is evidence of the holder’s identity.
You have a nicely detailed write up. However, i would disagree with one point you made early on. Driver’s licenses are issued by governments, but certificates are not. Certificates are issued by a certificate authority, which in the case of public certificate issuers like Microsoft, Entrust, Digicert, or SSL.com, are well known and trusted. However, there can be local or private certificate authorities, these are only trusted by individuals or programs that trust that root. This would be more akin to a badge issued at a convention or by a company. If I have no reason to trust the issuer, I have no reason to trust the badge.
A driver’s license and a digital certificate are similar in that they are for both used for identification. Digital certs identify a sites ability to facilitate secure communication/data exchange. A driver’s license identifies a person to facilitate proof of age/location of home/attributes (picture with metrics like height, weight, and eye/hair color). One of the largest differences between a driver’s license and a digital certification that comes to mind is the issuer. While digital certs can leverage CA’s they can also create and self-sign certificates. Driver’s licenses however can only be issued by the government. The other large difference that comes to mind is privacy. A digital certificate is visible to the public whenever you visit the site. This is so users can view and verify the legitimacy of the certificate themselves, the issued to/issued by as well as the cert expiration date, etc. A driver’s license on the other hand, has information on it that you wouldn’t want just anyone to be able to view.
A person COULD print their own driver’s license, but like a self signed certificate, it isn’t trusted by anyone else. The cops won’t accept your homemade driver’s license and Windows won’t trust someone else’s self signed code.
They are similar in that they are both issued by some type of agency that is government run, and that both also have legal ID documents. They are different in that digital can only ensure of trusted devices online while a drivers license can be proof of identity in the real world. But that doesn’t mean that the two won’t be mutually exclusive in the future as we move into an era where some states are legally obligated to accept digital identification in the real world and some digital opportunities require proof of physical identification. We now live in the small period of time where the two will mix.
Hi Matthew,
Digital certificates do not necessarily require a government-associated agency to issue the certificate. Certificate authorities can be third-party organizations that verify the certificate for you or you can self-sign digital certificates. To note, there are cases that hackers created fake SSL certificates by obtaining credentials from a certificate authority and there are also cases of malicious certificates because they can be self-signed.
They are similar in that:
Both identify the owner.
Both ensure the authenticity of the person’s documents.
Both have a valid date range and require renewal once the expiration date is reached.
Both are issued by higher/authenticated authorities and verify the documents’ authenticity.
They are different in that:
Digital certificates are digital public keys that validate the authenticity of a public key whereas
driver’s licenses are physical documents that verify a person is able to drive a vehicle on the
road.
Digital certificates verify the identity of a computer, a driving license identifies the person that
can drive.
Digital certificates are used for trusted communication over the internet, driving license is for
verifying a person’s capability to drive.
Driver’s licenses and digital certificates are similar in their functionality in that they are both used to identify their owners, are associated with a specific number, and only remain valid for a period before they must be renewed. Their main difference is in their application, a driver’s license identifies a person in the physical world with attributes like height, eye color, and gender. Digital certificates are to verify a computer and ensure trust in communication over secure mediums. Each is also only valid under specific, most of the time mutually exclusive, applications; most places will not accept a digital certification to verify my age and online applications will not accept my driver’s license as identification.
Hey Max. I agree but who’s to say that the advancement of technology doesn’t mean that one day we may have digital certifications represent things like our drivers licenses?
How are digital certificates and drivers’ licenses similar, and how are they different?
Similarities:
Both have unique serial number.
Both have validity period and both signed by designated authority
Differences:
Driver’s license identifies a person who is authorized to operate a vehicle whereas digital certificate provides ownership for public key
Both driver’s licenses and certificates allow someone to trust the authenticity of the bearer because they trust the issuer. A driver’s license it accepted as proof of identity for many transactions because everyone trusts the State that issues it proved the identify of that person and we can examine the card itself for proof that it is genuine. Certificates likewise are trusted because we trust the original issuer and they have cryptographically secure mechanisms to prove they are genuine. Certificates can do one thing better than driver’s licenses, they can vouch for an entire chain of trust. If certificate A is issued by B and B is issued by C and C is a trusted root authority (like Entrust, DigiCert, Microsoft, etc) then I can trust certificate A because the trust chain is unbroken back to the trusted root. I don’t have to know anything about a piece of code beyond the code signing certificate signature and so long as that is chained back to a trusted root, I can be assured that it is genuine code released by the certificate holder.
Digital certificates and drivers’ licenses are similar if a few of the following ways:
1. Both are issued (by Certificate Authority or DMV) as a form of Identification of the owner
2. Both are a form of authorization
3. Both are only valid for a timeframe and must be renewed
Digital certificates and drivers’ licenses are different in the following ways:
1. Driver’s licenses are in physical form; Digital certificates are not in a physical form, and are electronic
2. Digital certificates are used to determine who sent a particular message; Driver’s licenses are not used to determine who sent a message, but who has authorization to drive
3. Digital certificates require a digital signature; Driver’s licenses are validated via a third party (whether a person or a person scanning the license)
You bring up a point that I didn’t think of: both certificates and driver’s licenses are only valid up to their expiration date. In both instances it is to ensure that the data contained within and the permissions granted are up to date.
They are both similar because they are issued by a government agency, associate a name with an identifier, and have a time restriction, they are distinct in the sense that they need image verification and that a listed individual has permission to drive. In addition, they are both signed by the certificate authority and have an individual serial number as well as a valid period of time.
Digital certificates make use of digital signatures, whereas drivers’ licenses are signed by an official.
While verifying the digital certificate, the verifier will seek up the public key associated with the digital certificate in order to check for digital signatures. The driver’s license verification will check the authenticity of the license as well as the photo of the person who has been attached to it.
I would disagree in that a CA does not have to be government issued. For example, GoDaddy is a very large and well-known CA that is a publicly traded company and not affiliated with the government.
Digital certificates and drivers licenses are similar because government authorities have issues it for you. You need some sort of permission to obtain them verifying your eligibility if are unable to meet standards then it might be hard for you to get them. They both also from time to time have to renewed the timespan can from year to year or span over couple of years. It may be subject to change.
Digital certificates and drivers licenses are different by usage of drivers licenses may be subject to depending on situation, for example when you get pulled over, you need it readily available in the physical form. On the other hand digital certificates are electronic and you may store it where you can easily find it. It is more of one and done type of thing.
They are similar in that they are issued by the government, link a person’s name to a number, and expire after a certain period of time; however, they are different in that they need photographic identification and prove that the bearer is legally allowed to operate a motor vehicle. Also, each has its own unique serial number and expiration date, and the certificate authority’s signature. The differences are that, digital certificates make use of digital signatures, whilst drivers’ licenses are signed by an official. While verifying the digital certificate, the verifier will look up the public key associated with the digital certificate in order to check for digital signatures. When you go to verify your driver’s license, it will look at both the license itself and the photo connected to it to make sure they are legit. In addition, a digital certificate is defined as a digital document used to validate the ownership of a private key or to ascertain the identity of a public key holder. Certificates must be issued only after passing a rigorous and impartial authentication process.
However, a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC), issued by a trusted certification body, is required before digital signatures can be used (CA). Digital Certificates is used to cryptographically link the ownership of the public key with an individual who possesses the key. Credentials for accessing the internet. Digital signatures, in layman’s terms, are used to verify the identity of the signer and the sender of a document and protect all sensitive data, while digital certificates are used to authenticate the identity of the entity issuing the certificate. In the United States, a driver’s license is defined as proof that the bearer is legally allowed to drive a motor vehicle on public roads without another person present. Tare both signed by the central authority, have a unique number, and have a validity term linked with them. The opposite is true of digital certificates, which are described as electronic papers used to prove ownership of a public key. They are used for that purpose, as well as for identification verification. A driver’s license is a government-issued document valid only in the nation of issuance. The license is evidence of the holder’s identity.
You have a nicely detailed write up. However, i would disagree with one point you made early on. Driver’s licenses are issued by governments, but certificates are not. Certificates are issued by a certificate authority, which in the case of public certificate issuers like Microsoft, Entrust, Digicert, or SSL.com, are well known and trusted. However, there can be local or private certificate authorities, these are only trusted by individuals or programs that trust that root. This would be more akin to a badge issued at a convention or by a company. If I have no reason to trust the issuer, I have no reason to trust the badge.
A driver’s license and a digital certificate are similar in that they are for both used for identification. Digital certs identify a sites ability to facilitate secure communication/data exchange. A driver’s license identifies a person to facilitate proof of age/location of home/attributes (picture with metrics like height, weight, and eye/hair color). One of the largest differences between a driver’s license and a digital certification that comes to mind is the issuer. While digital certs can leverage CA’s they can also create and self-sign certificates. Driver’s licenses however can only be issued by the government. The other large difference that comes to mind is privacy. A digital certificate is visible to the public whenever you visit the site. This is so users can view and verify the legitimacy of the certificate themselves, the issued to/issued by as well as the cert expiration date, etc. A driver’s license on the other hand, has information on it that you wouldn’t want just anyone to be able to view.
A person COULD print their own driver’s license, but like a self signed certificate, it isn’t trusted by anyone else. The cops won’t accept your homemade driver’s license and Windows won’t trust someone else’s self signed code.
They are similar in that they are both issued by some type of agency that is government run, and that both also have legal ID documents. They are different in that digital can only ensure of trusted devices online while a drivers license can be proof of identity in the real world. But that doesn’t mean that the two won’t be mutually exclusive in the future as we move into an era where some states are legally obligated to accept digital identification in the real world and some digital opportunities require proof of physical identification. We now live in the small period of time where the two will mix.
Hi Matthew,
Digital certificates do not necessarily require a government-associated agency to issue the certificate. Certificate authorities can be third-party organizations that verify the certificate for you or you can self-sign digital certificates. To note, there are cases that hackers created fake SSL certificates by obtaining credentials from a certificate authority and there are also cases of malicious certificates because they can be self-signed.
I agree with you Kenneth, digital certificates does not require a government associated agency to issue the certificate.
They are similar in that:
Both identify the owner.
Both ensure the authenticity of the person’s documents.
Both have a valid date range and require renewal once the expiration date is reached.
Both are issued by higher/authenticated authorities and verify the documents’ authenticity.
They are different in that:
Digital certificates are digital public keys that validate the authenticity of a public key whereas
driver’s licenses are physical documents that verify a person is able to drive a vehicle on the
road.
Digital certificates verify the identity of a computer, a driving license identifies the person that
can drive.
Digital certificates are used for trusted communication over the internet, driving license is for
verifying a person’s capability to drive.
Driver’s licenses and digital certificates are similar in their functionality in that they are both used to identify their owners, are associated with a specific number, and only remain valid for a period before they must be renewed. Their main difference is in their application, a driver’s license identifies a person in the physical world with attributes like height, eye color, and gender. Digital certificates are to verify a computer and ensure trust in communication over secure mediums. Each is also only valid under specific, most of the time mutually exclusive, applications; most places will not accept a digital certification to verify my age and online applications will not accept my driver’s license as identification.
Hey Max. I agree but who’s to say that the advancement of technology doesn’t mean that one day we may have digital certifications represent things like our drivers licenses?
How are digital certificates and drivers’ licenses similar, and how are they different?
Similarities:
Both have unique serial number.
Both have validity period and both signed by designated authority
Differences:
Driver’s license identifies a person who is authorized to operate a vehicle whereas digital certificate provides ownership for public key
Both driver’s licenses and certificates allow someone to trust the authenticity of the bearer because they trust the issuer. A driver’s license it accepted as proof of identity for many transactions because everyone trusts the State that issues it proved the identify of that person and we can examine the card itself for proof that it is genuine. Certificates likewise are trusted because we trust the original issuer and they have cryptographically secure mechanisms to prove they are genuine. Certificates can do one thing better than driver’s licenses, they can vouch for an entire chain of trust. If certificate A is issued by B and B is issued by C and C is a trusted root authority (like Entrust, DigiCert, Microsoft, etc) then I can trust certificate A because the trust chain is unbroken back to the trusted root. I don’t have to know anything about a piece of code beyond the code signing certificate signature and so long as that is chained back to a trusted root, I can be assured that it is genuine code released by the certificate holder.
Digital certificates and drivers’ licenses are similar if a few of the following ways:
1. Both are issued (by Certificate Authority or DMV) as a form of Identification of the owner
2. Both are a form of authorization
3. Both are only valid for a timeframe and must be renewed
Digital certificates and drivers’ licenses are different in the following ways:
1. Driver’s licenses are in physical form; Digital certificates are not in a physical form, and are electronic
2. Digital certificates are used to determine who sent a particular message; Driver’s licenses are not used to determine who sent a message, but who has authorization to drive
3. Digital certificates require a digital signature; Driver’s licenses are validated via a third party (whether a person or a person scanning the license)
You bring up a point that I didn’t think of: both certificates and driver’s licenses are only valid up to their expiration date. In both instances it is to ensure that the data contained within and the permissions granted are up to date.
They are both similar because they are issued by a government agency, associate a name with an identifier, and have a time restriction, they are distinct in the sense that they need image verification and that a listed individual has permission to drive. In addition, they are both signed by the certificate authority and have an individual serial number as well as a valid period of time.
Digital certificates make use of digital signatures, whereas drivers’ licenses are signed by an official.
While verifying the digital certificate, the verifier will seek up the public key associated with the digital certificate in order to check for digital signatures. The driver’s license verification will check the authenticity of the license as well as the photo of the person who has been attached to it.
Hello Abayomi,
I would disagree in that a CA does not have to be government issued. For example, GoDaddy is a very large and well-known CA that is a publicly traded company and not affiliated with the government.
Digital certificates and drivers licenses are similar because government authorities have issues it for you. You need some sort of permission to obtain them verifying your eligibility if are unable to meet standards then it might be hard for you to get them. They both also from time to time have to renewed the timespan can from year to year or span over couple of years. It may be subject to change.
Digital certificates and drivers licenses are different by usage of drivers licenses may be subject to depending on situation, for example when you get pulled over, you need it readily available in the physical form. On the other hand digital certificates are electronic and you may store it where you can easily find it. It is more of one and done type of thing.