System and method for revocation of a signature certificate in a Public Key
Infrastructure (PKI) that includes an enterprise with one or more servers, a directory,
a registration web server, and one or more client platforms that allow users to
access the servers of the enterprise. A user may desire to revoke a potentially
compromised signature certificate of the user, or a manger of the user may revoke
a signature certificate because it has been lost by the user, or the manager no
longer desires that the user has access to servers of an enterprise. A user or
personal revocation authority (manager) initiates a revocation process by creating
an authenticated secure channel with a registration web server. Using the authenticated
secure channel, the user or personal revocation authority requests the registration
web server revoke a user signature certificate. The registration web server queries
a directory to verify that the personal revocation authority is permitted to revoke
the signature certificate of the user. The user signature certificate is revoked.
The directory is notified by the registration web server of revocation of the user
signature certificate. A user entry in the directory is set to a state without
a signature certificate. A process for a new signature certificate for the user
may now occur.