CP/CPS

CP and CPS are the public documents defining what a trust service provider promises about certificates and how it delivers on that promise.

A Certificate Policy (CP) and Certification Practice Statement (CPS) are the two public documents that define how a trust service provider issues and manages certificates. The CP sets out the rules and requirements that apply to a certificate, such as who may receive it and for what purpose, while the CPS explains in practical detail how the provider actually meets those rules, from identity checks to key management.

Together, the CP and CPS give relying parties and auditors a transparent basis for trusting a qualified trust service provider (QTSP). They cover matters such as identity verification, key generation, certificate lifecycle management, and certificate revocation, and are published so anyone can check what has been promised and how it is delivered.