About Hongkong Post e-Cert

Hongkong Post e-Cert - The Solution to Online Trading

We have all witnessed the explosion of Internet services and how they have integrated into our daily lives. People are now used to sending e-mail, exchanging electronic data and conducting commercial transactions over the Internet or other electronic means regularly.

Like a lot of us however, you probably still wonder how secure your online transactions are. Concerns arise as to whether:

a person is really who he/she claims to be;
your e-mail content has been tampered with; and
the privacy of your electronic communications with others can be protected.

That is why Hongkong Post built a Public Key Infrastructure ("PKI") in early 2000 and became the first public recognized certification authority ("CA") under the Electronic Transactions Ordinance ("ETO") (Cap. 553). As a recognized CA, Hongkong Post CA issues recognized digital certificates ("e-Cert") that comply with the provisions of the ETO. Under the ETO, digital signature supported by an e-Cert has the same legal status as a handwritten signature. Hongkong Post e-Cert is issued to individuals and businesses to authenticate the online identity of subscribers and to facilitate the conduct of online transactions in a secure and trusted environment. Hongkong Post CA also maintains a certificate repository and directory to allow the public to verify the validity of a particular Hongkong Post e-Cert.

[Recognition Status] of Hongkong Post CA and e-Cert.

Hongkong Post e-Cert facilitates secure online transactions

Authentication - proof of identity of the parties in an electronic transaction;
Integrity - proof that the message contents have not been altered, deliberately or accidentally, during transmission;
Non-Repudiation - prevention of denial of commitment with digital signature supported by an e-Cert; and
Confidentiality - protection that the content and information of a transaction is kept private and secret from unauthorised third parties.

The types of Hongkong Post digital certificates

Hongkong Post Certification Authority issues the following types of digital certificates to individuals and organisations in Hong Kong:-

Outsourced Operations of Hongkong Post Certification Authority

Since 1 April 2007, Hongkong Post Certification Authority (HKPCA) operations have been outsourced with private sector participation. Currently, Hongkong Post has awarded a contract to Certizen Limited ("Contractor") for operating and maintaining the systems and services of HKPCA for the period from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2026. The Contractor may use the personal data provided by subscribers only in performing its obligations pursuant to the contract for the provision of HKPCA services.