Importing the CSD root certificate

Importing the CSD root certificate essentially allows certain applications to trust certificates that have been signed by the UMD computer science department. This should eliminate annoying popup windows asking you if you really want to trust certain department websites and SSL connections.

It is highly recommended that you do this so that you don't get in the habit of accepting certificates that are presented by untrusted certificate authorities. Fraudulent web sites and phishing schemes are becoming more sophisticated all the time, and this is one way to help protect yourself. This page includes instructions for importing the CSD root certificate for the following applications:

Web Browsers

Mail clients

Microsoft Internet Explorer, Outlook, and Outlook Express

  1. Download the certificate from http://www.cs.umd.edu/certs/csdca.cer and save it to a file.
  2. When prompted, choose to Open the file.

  3. Click on Install certificate... to start the Certificate import Wizard.
  4. In the Certificate Import Wizard window, Click Next
  5. Choose to Place all certificates in the following store
  6. Click Browse... and select Trusted Root Certification Authorities
  7. Click OK

  8. Click Next
  9. Click Finish
That's it!

Apple Safari and Mail.app

  1. Download the certificate from http://www.cs.umd.edu/certs/csdca.cer
  2. Double-click on the downloaded file, the Keychain Access application should open.
  3. Choose the X509 Anchors keychain
  4. Click OK
  5. Quit the Keychain Access application and you should be all set.

Firefox

  1. Download the certificate from http://www.cs.umd.edu/certs/csdca.crt
  2. When prompted, click the checkboxes to trust this certificate for web sites, users, and software, then click OK

That's it!

Thunderbird

  1. Download the certificate from http://www.cs.umd.edu/certs/csdca.cer
    If your browser says the certificate already exists, right-click on the link and choose to Save to location...

  2. Within thunderbird, go to the Tools menu and select Options

  3. Select Privacy
  4. Click on the Security tab.
  5. Click on View Certificates

  6. Click on the Authorities tab.
  7. Click Import

  8. Browse to the certificate that you downloaded, which should be named csdca.cer. Select it and click Open
  9. When prompted, click the checkboxes to trust this certificate for web sites, users, and software, then click OK

That's it!