Authenticode and Code Signing Digital ID From Comodo

The process is outlined below

• Publisher obtains a Code Signing Digital ID from Comodo.
• Publisher creates code.
• Using the SIGNCODE.EXE utility, the publisher:
  • Creates a hash of the code, using an algorithm such as MD5 or SHA,
  • Encrypts the hash using his/her private key,
  • Creates a package containing the code, the encrypted hash, and the publisher's certificate.
• The end user encounters the package.
• The end user's Microsoft browser examines the publisher's Digital ID. Using the Comodo root Public Key, which is already embedded in Authenticode-enabled applications, the end user browser verifies the authenticity of the Code Signing Digital ID (which is itself signed by the Comodo root Private Key).
• Using the publisher's public key contained within the publisher's Digital ID, the end user browser decrypts the signed hash.
• The end user browser runs the code through the same hashing algorithm as the publisher, creating a new hash.
• The end user browser compares the two hashes. If they are identical, the browser messages that the content has been verified by Comodo, and the end user has confidence that the code was signed by the publisher identified in the Digital ID, and that the code hasn't been altered since it was signed.

The entire process is seamless and transparent to end users, who see only a message that the content was signed by its publisher and verified by Comodo.