Individual Code Signing Certificates

Both use the same cryptographic signing process. The difference lies in identity: an Individual certificate binds the signature to a verified natural person, so the publisher name shown to users is a personal name rather than a company.

Yes, but with additional care. Because the private key is often file-based, signing is usually isolated to a protected build agent with restricted access to reduce the risk of accidental exposure or misuse.

A stolen key can be used to sign malicious software. Once abuse is detected, the certificate will be revoked and newly signed files may be flagged by operating systems. Strong key protection is critical for individuals.

Individual certificates are best suited for independent developers, open-source maintainers, freelancers, hobby developers, and others who do not operate under a legally registered company.

Validation focuses on personal identity rather than business registration, office records, and authorization documents. Fewer checks reduce processing effort and issuer liability, which is reflected in lower pricing.

Yes, but it is not a technical upgrade—it is a new identity. Developers often start with an Individual certificate and move to organization or EV certificates after forming a company. Reputation does not automatically transfer.

It replaces unsigned warnings with a named publisher, but displays a personal name rather than a brand. This works well for developer tools and utilities, but may be less effective for mass-market consumer software.

It can build reputation, but more slowly. Because personal identities are more frequently abused, operating systems treat Individual certificates more cautiously than organization or EV certificates.

Common issues include losing the private key, forgetting to timestamp, sharing the certificate across machines without protection, expecting EV-level trust signals, and failing to plan renewal before expiry.