The General Assembly of 2021 will go down as the shortest meeting in the history of CAcert. After only one and a half hours, President Brian McCullough was able to close the last agenda item. Kim N from Sweden is a new member of the committee.
Furthermore, the integration of CAcert in OpenIDConnect could be announced, thanks to a cooperation with RIPE NCC for this project.
Today we are going on a little journey through time for a current occasion. Are you ready? Then jump into the fountain together with Frog King!
Many, many years ago, when grandmother was still a little girl, it may have been in 1995, a hardworking man named Mark Shuttleworth started a certificate issuing service in his poor parents’ garage, just like CAcert is one.
The name of this service was Thawte. Thawte was a great and important service. It is said that it covered half of the empire at that time. And because he was so old and so wise, he enjoyed some privileges. When Uncle Netscape, the browser, introduced new rules for certificates, Aunt Thawte, considering her age, only had to comply if she wanted to.
Now it was the case in those days that some people would have liked to send letters in an envelope. Good Aunt Thawte said: I have so many envelopes, I will give you some! And everyone who booked a free e-mail address with her got the certificate to wrap the messages as a gift. The Web of Trust was created to ensure that everything was above board and that the big bad wolf didn’t pretend to be one of the seven little goats. There, the letter writers met with the most trustworthy men and women of the entire empire for the knighting.
After the wizard Verisign took over Aunt Thawte’s service in 1999, the Web of Trust’s noble round table was abolished a few years later. Its members were very surprised to be thrown out of the castle just like that, since they had selflessly served the cause as noble knights and notaries.
However, it was a stormy time. And the storm wind blew a big sailing ship with full rigging from New South Wales, a spot of earth on a big island in the middle of the big, wide sea in the New World, across the ocean. Its name was emblazoned in gold letters on the stern: CAcert.
The captain held the wheel with both hands until the ship docked in a safe harbour. Immediately the crew rushed ashore to the desperate notaries and knights of the Thawte Round Table and offered to take them in their ship.
Numerous were those who gratefully accepted this offer, even more so when the captain said that he trusted Aunt Thawte. So it happened that large parts of Thawt’s Web of Trust were integrated into CAcert’s Web of Trust and the Thawte notaries became CAcert assurers. In a special program named Tverfiy, they could have their trust points transferred in 2009. Today, more than a decade later, CAcert is discontinuing the corresponding web site, after a long time since scattered notaries have joined CAcert’s community.
Further reading:
https://wiki.cacert.org/Tverify
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thawte#Web_of_Trust
old blog posts from the time
Heat, floods, hurricanes and other unplannable events quickly lead to delays. We are proud that, despite everything, the handover of the keys to support went smoothly yesterday and the new volunteers now have access to the relevant systems to assist the existing team.
On the allegorical picture you can see Joost handing over the access rights to Aleš, Matthias and David. Also present: Critical Admin, President and Secretary.
Deutsch: Support verstärkt
Hitze, Hochwasser, Hurrikane und andere unplanbare Ereignisse führen schnell zu Verzögerungen. Wir sind stolz darauf, dass trotz allem die Schlüsselübergabe beim Support gestern geklappt hat und die neuen freiwilligen Mitarbeiter ab sofort Zugang zu den relevanten Systemen haben, um das bestehende Team zu unterstützen.
Auf dem allegorischen Bild seht ihr Joost, der Aleš, Matthias und David die Zugriffsrechte überreicht. Mit von der Partie: Critical Admin, Präsident und Sekretär.
English | Deutsch | Français | Español
There are some good news: The committee of CAcert Inc, the association behind our community, is again complete (picture: before the relocation to Europe). We welcome Michael R from Canada as the new treasurer. He takes over from Frédéric G from France who ran the treasury during a difficult period when Paypal cut us off from our money for months. We thank Frédéric G for his work in the past and look forward to working with Michael.
Newly, several people are taking care of the finances with the finance team. Besides the treasurer, the finance team includes Waclaw from Poland and Frédéric D. On the one hand, the finance team will replace our outdated accounting software. It also wants to unify the structures that have grown over the years. Thirdly, it will support the Board with subsidy applications.
Deutsch Der Trägerverein CAcert Inc hat einen neuen Kassier. Dieser wird in seinen Aufgaben durch das Finanzteam unterstützt. Erste Aufgaben werden sein, unsere veraltete Buchhaltungssoftware zu ersetzen. Ausserdem sollen die über die Jahren gewachsenen Strukturen verschlankt und der Vorstand bei Subventionsgesuchen unterstützt werden.
Français L’association CAcert Inc a un nouveau trésorier. Il sera soutenu dans ses tâches par l’équipe des finances. Les premières tâches consisteront à remplacer notre logiciel de comptabilité obsolète. En outre, les structures qui se sont développées au fil des ans seront rationalisées et le comité sera soutenu dans ses demandes de subventions.
Español La asociación patrocinadora CAcert Inc. tiene un nuevo tesorero. Estará apoyado en sus tareas por el equipo de finanzas. La primera tarea será sustituir nuestro anticuado programa de contabilidad. Además, se racionalizarán las estructuras que han crecido a lo largo de los años y se apoyará al consejo en las solicitudes de subvención.
Deutsch / English
Natürlich ist CAcert in erster Linie eine virtuelle Organisation. Aber der Trägerverein hat seinen Sitz an einer reellen Adresse.
Attention: Le Gouvernement de la République et Canton de Genève vous recommande vivement un confinement volontaire le mercredi 16 juin 2021 (et par conséquent de visiter CAcert virtuellement uniquement). Please note: The Government of the Republic and Canton of Geneva strongly recommend a voluntary quarantine (and consequently visit CAcert virtually only) on Wednesday 16 June 2021.
Bekanntlich ist CAcert als internationale Organisation für Sicherheit im Internet Ende letzten Jahres aus Neusüdwales nach Genf in der Schweiz umgezogen. Genf ist die internationale Stadt mit Sitz von Dutzenden internationaler Organisationen. Wenn wir am Sitz von CAcert Inc in Genf auf das Dach steigen, zeigen sich großartige Bilder: moderne Trams halten direkt vor dem neuen, von Jean Nouvel erbauten Bahnhof Genf Eaux-Vives an der internationalen Linie des Léman-Express von Savoyen in die Schweiz. Drehen wir den Kopf etwas mehr gegen Norden , liegt zwischen dem weltbekannten Springbrunnen im Genfersee und dem Betrachter der Park La Grange mit der Villa, in welcher sich in den kommenden Tagen die Präsidenten der Vereinigten Staaten und der Russischen Föderation treffen, zwar nicht um über Internetsicherheit zu debattieren, aber um die Sicherheit in der Welt. Nein, da wir uns für den Schutz der Privatsphäre einsetzen, hat es keine Web-Kamera auf dem Dach, um diese Herren zu beobachten.
CAcert welcomes John Biden and Vladimir Putin in Geneva
Of course, CAcert is first and foremost a virtual organisation. But the supporting association has its headquarters at a real address. As is well known, CAcert as an international organisation for security on the internet moved from New South Wales to Geneva in Switzerland at the end of last year. Geneva is the international city with the headquarters of dozens of international organisations. When we climb onto the roof at the headquarters of CAcert Inc in Geneva, great images appear: modern trams stop right in front of the new Geneva Eaux-Vives station built by Jean Nouvel on the international line of the Léman Express from Savoie to Switzerland. If we turn our head a little more towards the east, between the world-famous fountain in Lake Geneva and the viewer lies the park with the Villa La Grange, where the presidents of the United States and the Russian Federation will meet in the coming days, not to debate cyber security, but security in the world. No, because we are committed to privacy, it does not have a web camera on the roof to watch these gentlemen.
Italiano / español
Naturalmente, CAcert è prima di tutto un’organizzazione virtuale. Ma l’associazione di sostegno ha la sua sede in un indirizzo reale.
Attention: Le Gouvernement de la République et Canton de Genève vous recommande vivement un confinement volontaire le mercredi 16 juin 2021 (et par conséquent de visiter CAcert virtuellement uniquement). Please note: The Government of the Republic and Canton of Geneva strongly recommend a voluntary quarantine (and consequently visit CAcert virtually only) on Wednesday 16 June 2021.
Come è noto, CAcert, come organizzazione internazionale per la sicurezza su Internet, si è trasferita dal Nuovo Galles del Sud a Ginevra, Svizzera, alla fine dello scorso anno. Ginevra è la città internazionale con sede di decine di organizzazioni internazionali. Quando saliamo sul tetto della sede di CAcert Inc a Ginevra, appaiono grandi immagini: moderni tram si fermano proprio davanti alla nuova stazione di Ginevra Eaux-Vives, costruita da Jean Nouvel, sulla linea internazionale del Léman Express dalla Savoia alla Svizzera. Se giriamo la testa un po’ più al nord, tra la fontana di fama mondiale del lago di Ginevra e lo spettatore si trova il parco con la Villa La Grange, dove i presidenti degli Stati Uniti e della Federazione Russa si incontreranno nei prossimi giorni, non per discutere della sicurezza di Internet, ma della sicurezza nel mondo. No, poiché siamo impegnati nella privacy, non ha una web camera sul tetto per guardare questi signori.
CAcert recibe a John Biden y Vladimir Putin en Ginebra
Por supuesto, CAcert es ante todo una organización virtual. Pero la asociación de apoyo tiene su sede en una dirección real. Como es sabido, CAcert, como organización internacional para la seguridad en Internet, se trasladó de Nueva Gales del Sur a Ginebra (Suiza) a finales del año pasado. Ginebra es una ciudad internacional con sedes de decenas de organizaciones internacionales. Cuando subimos al tejado de la sede de CAcert Inc en Ginebra, aparecen grandes imágenes: los modernos tranvías se detienen justo delante de la nueva estación de Ginebra Eaux-Vives, construida por Jean Nouvel, en la línea internacional del Léman Express de Saboya a Suiza. Si giramos la cabeza un poco más hacia el norte, entre la mundialmente famosa fuente del lago de Ginebra y el espectador se encuentra el parque con la Villa La Grange, donde los presidentes de Estados Unidos y la Federación Rusa se reunirán en los próximos días, no para debatir sobre la seguridad en Internet, sino sobre la seguridad en el mundo. No, como estamos comprometidos con la privacidad, no tiene una cámara web en el techo para vigilar a estos señores.
Français / portoguês
Bien sûr, CAcert est en premier lieu un large groupe d’utilisateurs opérants en ligne et donc à distance. Mais l’association CAcert Inc. dispose aussi d’une adresse bien réelle pour son siège international.
Remarque: le gouvernement de la République et Canton de Genève vous recommande actuellement de respecter un confinement volontaire; par conséquent, nous vous encourageons à ne rentrer en contact avec CAcert que par les moyens de communication à distance. Please note: the government of the Republic and Canton of Geneva currently recommends that you respect voluntary self-isolation; therefore, we encourage you to contact CAcert only by remote means of communication.
À la fin de l’année 2020, on se souvient que CAcert déménageait son siège de la Nouvelle-Galles du Sud, en Australie, vers Genève, en Suisse. Genève est une ville à vocation internationale, où se retrouvent des dizaines d’organisations à dimension mondiale, comme se doit de l’être CAcert dans sa mission en faveur de la sécurité sur l’Internet. Lorsqu’on accède au toit du siège de CAcert Inc. à Genève, un vaste panorama urbain se découvre: des tramways flambants neuf s’arrêtent devant la nouvelle gare de Genève Eaux-Vives, qui fut construite par Jean Nouvel; cette gare accueille la ligne ferroviaire internationale du Léman Express, celui qui rattache la Savoie à la Suisse. En tournant le regard vers le nord, entre le jet d’eau mondialement célèbre du lac Léman et l’observateur, se dessine le parc de La Grange, avec la villa du même nom, où les présidents de la Fédération de Russie et des États-Unis se rencontreront ces jours-ci; ils n’y débattront probablement pas de la sécurité sur l’Internet, mais s’occuperont nous l’espérons de garantir celle du monde. Comme nous sommes attachés au respect de la vie privée, aucune caméra web sur notre toit ne donnera à observer ces Messieurs !
CAcert dá as boas-vindas a Vladimir Putin e John Biden em Genebra
Naturalmente, a CAcert é principalmente uma organização virtual. Mas a associação de apoio tem sua sede em um endereço real.
Como é bem conhecido, a CAcert, como uma organização internacional de segurança na Internet, mudou-se de Nova Gales do Sul para Genebra, Suíça, no final do ano passado. Genebra é a cidade internacional onde estão sediadas dezenas de organizações internacionais. Quando você sobe ao telhado da sede da CAcert Inc em Genebra, grandes quadros aparecem: bondes modernos param bem em frente à nova estação Eaux-Vives de Genebra, construída por Jean Nouvel, na linha internacional Leman Express, da Savoy à Suíça. Se virarmos nossas cabeças um pouco mais para o norte, entre a mundialmente famosa fonte do Lago Genebra e o espectador está o parque La Grange com la Villa, onde os presidentes da Federação Russa e dos Estados Unidos se encontrarão nos próximos dias, não para discutir a segurança na Internet, mas a segurança no mundo. Não, como estamos comprometidos com a privacidade, não há câmeras web no telhado para monitorar estes senhores.
English | Deutsch | Français | Español | Fingerprints
English | We already reported here in January that our Class 3 certificate is being re-signed. This was done a few weeks ago in our data centre in the Netherlands and subsequently tested extensively by our volunteers.
The new Class 3 certificate can now be downloaded here. In some days we will update the fingerprints and publish the other formats here. We recommend that all users use the new Class 3 certificate immediately, as the old certificate is approaching its expiry date and will no longer be valid after May 20th. Download the new certificate today and install it in your browser, e-mail program or certificate server as required.
All this exciting work (planning, re-signing, testing, communication) was done by volunteers from the CAcert community. They have acquired a lot of expertise over time and have worked their way up in the community. CAcert continues to offer such opportunities to interested and committed people today.
Alles neu macht der Mai – Neuerungen bei CAcert
Deutsch | Wir haben bereits im Januar an dieser Stelle darüber berichtet, dass unser Class-3-Zertifikat neu signiert wird. Dies ist vor einigen Wochen in unserem Rechenzentrum in den Niederlanden geschehen und anschliessend ausführlich von unseren Freiwilligen getestet worden.
Das neue Class-3-Zertifiat kann jetzt hier heruntergeladen werden. In wenigen Tagen werden wir die Fingerprints als auch die anderen Formate hier an gewohnter Stelle veröffentlichen. Wir empfehlen allen Nutzern, ab sofort das neue Class-3-Zertifikat zu verwenden, da das alte Zertifikate seinen Ablaufdatum entgegenschreitet und dann nicht mehr gültig ist. Laden Sie heute noch das neue Zertifikat herunter und installieren Sie es je nach Bedarf in Ihrem Browser, e-Mailprogramm oder Zertifikatsserver.
Alle diese spannenden Arbeiten (Planung, neu signieren, testen, Kommunikation) wurden von Freiwilligen der CAcert-Gemeinschaft erledigt. Sie haben sich im Laufe der Zeit viel Fachwissen angeeignet und sich in der Gemeinschaft hochgearbeitet. CAcert bietet auch heute interessierten und engagierten Leuten solche Möglichkeiten.
Changez vers le nouveau certificat class 3
Français | Nous avons déjà signalé ici en janvier que notre certificat de classe 3 était en cours de re-signature. Cela a été fait il y a quelques semaines dans notre centre de données aux Pays-Bas et a ensuite été testé de manière approfondie par nos volontaires.
Le nouveau certificat de classe 3 (comme l’ancien) peut être téléchargé ici. L’empreinte digitale va être publié dans les jours à venir ici. Nous recommandons à tous les utilisateurs d’utiliser le nouveau certificat de classe 3 à partir de maintenant, car l’ancien certificat approche de sa date d’expiration et ne sera plus valide. Téléchargez le nouveau certificat aujourd’hui et installez-le dans votre navigateur, votre programme de messagerie ou votre serveur de certificats, selon vos besoins.
Tout ce travail passionnant (planification, re-signature, tests, communication) a été réalisé par des bénévoles de la communauté CAcert. Ils ont acquis une grande expertise au fil du temps et ont gravi les échelons au sein de la communauté. CAcert continue aujourd’hui à offrir de telles opportunités aux personnes intéressées et engagées.
Español | Hace unas semanas, nuestro certificado de clase 3 se volvió a firmar en nuestro centro de datos de los Países Bajos y, a continuación, nuestros voluntarios lo probaron exhaustivamente. El nuevo certificado de clase 3 puede descargarse aquí. La huella dactilar y los demás formatos estarán disponibles en los próximos días aquí. Recomendamos a todos los usuarios que utilicen el nuevo certificado de clase 3 a partir de ahora, ya que el antiguo dejará de ser válido en breve. Instale el nuevo certificado de clase 3 hoy mismo.
Todo este apasionante trabajo ha sido realizado por voluntarios de la comunidad CAcert. CAcert ofrece interesantes oportunidades a las personas interesadas y dedicadas.
Fingerprints | SHA1 Fingerprint = D8:A8:3A:64:11:7F:FD:21:94:FE:E1:98:3D:D2:5C:7B:32:A8:FF:C8
SHA256 Fingerprint = 1B:C5:A6:1A:2C:0C:01:32:C5:2B:28:4F:3D:A0:D8:DA:CF:71:7A:0F:6C:1D:DF:81:D8:0B:36:EE:E4:44:28:69
The free certificate authority CAcert is increasing its support. In the past few days, the Board of Directors approved the appointment of Aleš to the post of Support Engineer. He has been working in the CAcert community for many years.
In addition to important knowledge from his professional work, he has developed a lot of CAcert specifics through translation work in the Wiki. Aleš has been working in support for some time, so far in triage. We are very grateful that such a connoisseur of the subject has agreed to take on this responsible post in his spare time and wish him much success and fulfilment in his voluntary work for the CAcert community. CAcert offers interested volunteers a variety of tasks, the opportunity to gain exciting experience and stimulating career opportunities.
The free certificate authority CAcert is making progress in increasing the number of its working groups. In the past few days, the committee approved the appointment of Jan to the post of Critical Engineer.
The appointment of Michaela as Access Engineer was also approved. Both have a broad range of experience and are distinguished by their specialist knowledge and sense of responsibility. We wish both engineers much success and fulfilment in their voluntary work for the CAcert community. These are challenging tasks and come with great responsibility. CAcert offers interested volunteers a variety of tasks, the opportunity to gain exciting experience and stimulating career opportunities.