Importance

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Abstract

A method and system for validating a certificate maintains a multi-subscriber root certificate store, containing subscriber identification data for a plurality of subscribers along with data representing a plurality of root certificates, such as an index to root certificates or the root certificates themselves, associated with each of the plurality of subscribers. In one example, a table is stored containing specified root CA certificates for a plurality of subscribers in a network such as stored by a network element in a wireless radiotelephone network, or any other suitable wireless network. Subscriber units do not have a root CA store that contains pre-stored root CA certificates. Accordingly, memory is saved in the subscriber units. In addition, a separate server that stores the multi-subscribers root certificate store preferably carries out certificate path validation on behalf of the mobile units so that the wireless mobile unit need not carry out certificate path construction. Instead, a wireless mobile unit simply sends a certificate to be validated along with its subscriber ID data identifying the mobile unit or application to the multi-subscriber root certificate store server and waits for a 'yes' or 'no' answer from the server to determine whether the certificate is valid.

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First Claim