Articles in Root

Share Via Email

How do I check my certificates on Firefox?

Problem

How do I check my certificates on Firefox?

Solution

While Firefox on Apple Mac OS X and Firefox on Microsoft Windows are similar, the process to view the certificate store differs slightly.  This Knowledge Base Article will explain the process for Firefox on both OS X and Windows.

    • Windows - In the Firefox window, click on Tools and select Options from the drop down menu.
    • Mac - In the Menu window, click on Firefox and select Preferences from the drop down menu.





  2. In the Options window that appears, click on the Advanced section at the very top.  This is denoted by a gray gear.




  3. Once you have selected the Advanced gear at the top, click on the Encryption tab if it is not already selected. The bottom contents of the Options window change.
  4. Click on the View Certificates button. The Certificate Manager window should appear.




  5. Once the Certificate Manager window appears, use the tabs to navigate through the certificate store that you would like to view.  Below is an overview of each tab.

Your Certificates - these are the certificates that you have both private and public key to.  These certificates could be used for a number of things, such as signing email, decrypting messages, accessing a website, etc.  What these certificates do are defined by the key usage.

People - These are the certificates that your computer has stored, yet does not have the private key to.

Servers - These are the certificates that have been installed manually from a website and do not contain the private key.  Some website are untrusted because of SSL Certificate problems.  When you add an exception so that you can view these websites, it installs an SSL Certificate here.

Authorities - These are the Root Certificates that Firefox trusts.  Any personal certificate that falls underneath any of these roots will be trusted (unless the certificate is revoked or expired).  The Root certificates that come with Firefox are called Built-In Objects as they ship with a fresh install of Firefox.  The list also includes any intermediate certificates that have been installed and are trusted.

Legal


DigiCert is the world’s premier provider of high-assurance digital certificates—providing trusted SSL, private and managed PKI deployments, and device certificates for the emerging IoT market. Since our founding almost fifteen years ago, we’ve been driven by the idea of finding a better way. A better way to provide authentication on the internet. A better way to tailor solutions to our customer’s needs.

© 2020 DigiCert, Inc. All rights reserved. DigiCert, its logo and CertCentral are registered trademarks of DigiCert, Inc. Norton and the Checkmark Logo are trademarks of NortonLifeLock Inc. used under license. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.