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How to Sign a NuGet Package (Step by Step)
Sign a NuGet package with dotnet nuget sign: use a hardware-based code signing certificate, reference it by SHA-256 fingerprint, add an RFC 3161 timestamp, then register the certificate on NuGet.org and verify. Includes the author-vs-repository signature split and the errors most first uploads hit.
How to Sign a VBA Macro (Word, Excel & PowerPoint)
Sign a VBA macro in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint: choose a code signing certificate in the VBA editor, timestamp it through the registry, and set your publisher as trusted. Plus why a correctly signed macro can still hit the red 'Microsoft has blocked macros' banner — and the fix.
EV vs OV Code Signing: Which One Do You Actually Need?
EV vs OV code signing in 2026: EV no longer skips SmartScreen, so standard OV is the right choice for most publishers. When EV is still required (kernel drivers, enterprise policy), what both now cost, and how the 460-day validity and hardware-key rules affect each.
The 'Unknown Publisher' Warning: Why It Appears and How to Fix It
The 'Unknown Publisher' warning appears when Windows can't verify who signed a program. What triggers it, how it differs from the SmartScreen 'unrecognized app' warning, why it can survive signing, and how a trusted code signing certificate replaces it with your verified name.
Code Signing Certificate Validity: The New 460-Day Limit
Since March 1, 2026, publicly trusted code signing certificates max out at 460 days — down from about three years — under CA/Browser Forum Ballot CSC-31. What changed, who's affected, how multi-year purchases now work as reissues, and how to plan renewals without a signing gap.
What Is a Digital Signature? How It Works with Certificates
A digital signature uses a private key to prove a file came from you and hasn't been altered, while a certificate ties that key to a verified identity. How signing and verifying work, what they guarantee, and the certificate types behind HTTPS, code signing, documents, and email.
What Is a CSR? Certificate Signing Request Explained
A CSR (Certificate Signing Request) is a signed PKCS#10 block that carries your public key and identity to a certificate authority — while the matching private key stays on your server. What's inside a CSR, how it becomes a certificate, and the mistakes that stall an order.
How to Install an S/MIME Certificate in Outlook (Windows, Mac & Web)
Get your S/MIME certificate working in every Outlook: import the .pfx into the store each version actually reads — Windows store, Outlook's own S/MIME settings, or the macOS Keychain — pick it as your signing certificate, and trade one signed email before you encrypt. Includes the five errors that stop most first setups.
What Is a Document Signing Certificate? Digital PDF Signatures Explained
A document signing certificate ties a CA-verified identity to your PDF and Office signatures. What separates it from a typed e-signature, how the cryptography works, what Adobe AATL membership changes for recipients, and how the eIDAS levels decide legal weight.
How to Sign a Windows Driver (Attestation Signing, Step by Step)
Kernel drivers only load when Microsoft signs them: what your EV certificate actually signs, the attestation submission in Partner Center step by step, why Windows Server needs WHQL instead, and what the April 2026 cross-signing cutoff broke.
How to Sign an MSI or MSIX Installer (Step by Step)
Sign MSI and MSIX installers with SignTool: why packages sign from the inside out, the one-signature-per-MSI rule that breaks dual signing, the MSIX publisher-match check behind error 0x8007000B, and how Inno Setup, NSIS, and WiX bundles each get signed.
Code Signing in CI/CD: How to Automate Signing Without Exposing Your Key
Since 2023 there's no key file to paste into a CI secret — automating signatures means connecting the pipeline to certified hardware. Compare USB tokens on self-hosted runners, SimplySign cloud sessions on a dedicated agent, and pipeline-native services, plus the design rules that keep unattended signing safe.
Written by Security Professionals
Our articles are created by the My-SSL team with over 10 years of experience in SSL certificates, PKI, and web security. We help businesses, developers, and IT professionals understand digital security with practical, accurate, and up-to-date guides.