The eMudhra certificate authority incident has raised important questions about the security of digitally signed software, the reliability of certificate authorities, and the trust mechanisms used to verify software publishers. Although much of the initial attention focused on SSL/TLS certificates,…
The short answer is no for OV specifically, but yes for what you actually need. OV stands for Organization Validation, and the CA/B Forum’s definition of OV requires a verified legal organizational entity : a company, LLC, sole trader registration,…
On October 14, 2025, the CA/Browser Forum passed Ballot CSC-31, reducing the maximum validity period for publicly trusted code signing certificates from 39 months (approximately three years) to 460 days (approximately 15 months). The change took effect March 1, 2026.…
Checking a file for viruses before you run it is straightforward with the right tools. The most reliable approach layers a few quick checks: scan the download URL before fetching the file, use VirusTotal or Windows Defender to scan the…
PowerShell’s AllSigned execution policy requires every script that runs on the machine to carry a valid digital signature from a trusted publisher. Getting a script to run under AllSigned involves two distinct requirements that must both be met: the signature…
You built software. You want to sign it so users don’t get the ‘Unknown Publisher’ warning when they install it. You don’t have a security team, an IT department, or someone whose job it is to manage certificates. You just…
Software distribution without a code signing certificate has become progressively more costly as Windows security mechanisms have tightened. Microsoft’s SmartScreen reputation system, which protects an estimated 1 billion Windows devices, assigns warning thresholds to executables based on download history and…
Getting a code signing certificate is not instantaneous the way downloading a software license is. The core of the process is identity verification by the Certificate Authority, and identity verification takes time because it involves checking your organization against independent…
In May 2026, a software publisher posted to Microsoft Q&A describing exactly this situation. Same organization. Same publisher name. Same Certificate Authority. A routine EV certificate renewal, nothing changed except the certificate thumbprint. SmartScreen treated the company as an unknown…
The direct answer: upgrading from OV to EV will not fix antivirus false positive detections on your signed software. For the specific problem of AV engines flagging legitimate software as suspicious, EV provides no meaningful advantage over OV in 2026.…
