FAQ Hero

Certificate Transparency (CT) — What it is and why it Matters

How Certificate Transparency works 

Certificate Transparency (CT) is a public, append-only logging system designed to record TLS/SSL certificate issuance so domain owners, auditors, and the wider community can detect misissuance or fraud. CT introduces visibility into the issuance pipeline by recording pre-certificates and final certificates into public logs, enabling automated monitoring and alerts that protect brands and reduce abuse. Since modern browsers require CT logging for publicly trusted certificates, CT is now a mandatory part of public certificate issuance and compliance workflows. DigiCert integrates CT logging into its public CA issuance so customers meet browser policies and gain the public auditing and post-issuance monitoring that CT provides.

What is Certificate Transparency? 
CT is a system of public, append-only logs that record TLS certificate issuance so fraudulent or misissued certificates can be discovered and audited.

Why do browsers require CT? 
Browsers require CT to reduce undiscovered misissuance and increase accountability in the public PKI ecosystem.

Does DigiCert log certificates to CT? 
Yes — DigiCert publishes public TLS/SSL certificates to public CT logs to meet browser requirements and enable public auditing.

Does CT change how I manage certificates? 
For publicly trusted TLS certificates, CT logging is part of the issuance pipeline; your CA or CertCentral will handle logging automatically.

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