External Certificate Authority
CERT's | Digital ID | External Certificate Authority | Secure Socket Layer
External Certificate Authorities are certificates provided to external entities (such as government contractors, state and local governments) that enable secure on-line transactions with government agencies. Installed in a browser or email program, ECA certificates can be used for authenticating identity for access to Web sites and applications, to digitally sign documents, and for encrypting e-mail communications.
As of January 1st, 2008, it is required that a fee be charged to any individual requesting an ECA certificate. All ECA certificates should be purchased through the UT Arlington Information Security Office. The fee charged will be at the rate of $125 per ECA certificate. This applies to new certificates as well as renewals. The ECA certificate will be valid for a period of one year.
Because of strict controls on the distribution of ECA's a person must first be vetted and approved before receiving an ECA. There is no possibility of receiving an ECA without completion of the proper documentation and required vetting process. This is an involved process that takes a considerable amount of time and requires additional information than that of a traditional digital id. As a result, please allow an ample amount of time for the processing of your ECA. For more information or to submit a request, contact the UT Arlington Information Security Office at phone number 817.272.5487 or by email: security@uta.edu.