Methods of issuing a credit for a certificate for a domain name
View Patent ↗The invention provides methods for efficiently registering a domain name and issuing a certificate without a Subscriber submitting a separate request for the certificate. A notice may be provided to the Subscriber after requesting to register the domain name that a credit for a certificate may be issued for the domain name. In other embodiments a credit may be given to the Subscriber for the certificate without receiving a separate request for the credit or certificate. The credit may be saved in a Subscriber's account to enable the Subscriber to use a certificate at a later time. In yet other embodiments, a single vetting process may be used to facilitate one or more of: creating a Subscriber's account; registering a domain name; and issuing a certificate.
1. A method, comprising the steps of:
a) receiving a request, via one or more input fields displayed to a subscriber via one or more software functions executed on one or more computer resources shared by one or more coordinated business entities, create an account for the subscriber;
b) receiving a selection for the subscriber to receive a credit in the account for a security certificate configured to verify, by a trusted third party recognized by a browser, the subscriber or a subscriber website;
c) responsive to the subscriber affirmatively acknowledging wanting the security certificate, sending a certificate signing request for the security certificate, comprising a public key and a distinguished name for the subscriber or the subscriber website, to a certificate authority software function executed on the one or more computer resources,
d) receiving the security certificate, signed and issued, from the certificate authority software function;
e) installing and configuring the security certificate on the subscriber website, via direct communication between the certificate authority software function and a hosting software function executed on the one or more computer resources.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request from the subscriber to create the account includes displaying to the subscriber that, responsive to the subscriber registering one or more domain names, the subscriber will receive the credit or the secure certificate.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request from the subscriber to create the account does not include a request for the credit or the secure certificate.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
receiving a request from the subscriber to install the certificate on the subscriber website;
issuing the certificate for one or more domain names registered to the subscriber; and
installing the certificate on the subscriber website.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
receiving registration information from the subscriber to register one or more domain names; and
using the registration information to issue the security certificate.
6. A method, comprising the steps of:
a) receiving, from one or more web pages within a facilitator website hosted on the one or more server computers within a facilitator computer network, a request to register one or more domain names via one or more domain name registration software functions hosted on the one or more server computers, wherein the request comprises registration information for a subscriber;
b) registering the one or more domain names;
c) displaying to the subscriber on the facilitator website a notification that, responsive to the subscriber registering the one or more domain names, the subscriber will obtain a security certificate configured to verify, by a trusted third party recognized by a browser, the subscriber or a subscriber website for the domain name, without receiving a separate request from the subscriber for the security certificate;
d) receiving a request from the subscriber to obtain the security certificate;
e) sending a certificate signing request for the security certificate, comprising a public key and a unique distinguished name for the subscriber or the subscriber website, to a certificate authority software function hosted on the one or more server computers;
f) receiving the security certificate, signed and issued, from the certificate authority software function; and
g) installing and configuring the security certificate on the subscriber website, via direct communication between the certificate authority software function and a hosting software function on the one or more server computers.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the security certificate is not received, signed or issued until after a hosting account for the subscriber website is created.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the request from the subscriber to register the one or more domain names includes a request for the security certificate.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the request from the subscriber to register the one or more domain names does not include a request for the security certificate.
10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the step of saving the security certificate in an account for the subscriber so that the security certificate may be subsequently installed on the subscriber website.
11. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the steps of:
receiving a request from the subscriber to install the security certificate for the subscriber website; and
installing the certificate for the Subscriber's Web site.
12. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the steps of:
receiving registration information, comprising contact information for a subscriber received via one or more input fields on the one or more web pages, from the subscriber to register the one or more domain names; and
using the registration information to issue the security certificate.
13. A method, comprising the steps of:
a) receiving, from one or more web pages within a facilitator website hosted on the one or more server computers within a facilitator computer network, a request to create an account and to register one or more domain names via one or more domain name registration software functions hosted on the one or more server computers, wherein the request comprises registration information for a subscriber;
b) subjecting the subscriber to a vetting process comprising verifying, using the registration information, the identity and reputation of trustworthiness of the subscriber, wherein responsive to the subscriber passing the vetting process, the subscriber passes all subsequent vetting processes;
c) registering the domain name responsive to the subscriber passing the vetting process;
d) receiving from the subscriber a selection of a credit for a secure certificate in the account without receiving a separate request from the subscriber for the security certificate;
e) sending a certificate signing request for the security certificate, comprising a public key and a unique distinguished name for the subscriber or the subscriber website, to a certificate authority software function hosted on the one or more server computers;
f) receiving the security certificate, signed and issued, from the certificate authority software function; and
g) installing and configuring the security certificate on the subscriber website, via direct communication between the certificate authority software function and a hosting software function on the one or more server computers.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the request from the subscriber to register the one or more domain names includes a request for the security certificate.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the request from the subscriber to register the one or more domain names does not include a request for the security certificate.
16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
receiving a request from the subscriber to install the security certificate on the subscriber website;
issuing the certificate for the one or more domain names; and
installing the certificate on the subscriber website.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising the steps of:
receiving the registration information from the subscriber to register the one or more domain names; and
using the registration information to issue the security certificate.
18. A method comprising the steps of:
a) receiving, from one or more web pages within a facilitator website hosted on the one or more server computers within a facilitator computer network, a request to create an account via one or more software functions hosted on the one or more server computers, wherein the request comprises registration information for a subscriber;
b) subjecting the Subscriber to a vetting process comprising verifying, using the registration information, the identity and reputation of trustworthiness of the subscriber, wherein responsive to the subscriber passing the vetting process, the subscriber passes all subsequent vetting processes;
c) creating the account responsive to the subscriber passing the vetting process;
d) receiving a request from the subscriber to register a domain name;
e) registering the domain name; and
f) giving the subscriber a credit for a security certificate configured to verify, by a trusted third party recognized by a browser, the subscriber or a subscriber website in the account without receiving a separate request from the subscriber for the credit or the security certificate, wherein the security certificate is subsequently requested, signed, installed and configured on the subscriber website.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the request from the subscriber to register the domain name includes a request for the security certificate.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the request from the subscriber to register the domain name does not include a request for the security certificate.
21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising the steps of:
receiving a request from the subscriber to install the security certificate on the subscriber website;
issuing the security certificate for the domain name; and
installing the security certificate on the subscriber website.
22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising the steps of:
receiving the registration information from the subscriber to register the domain name; and
using the registration information to issue the security certificate.