---
title: Managing certificates from partners
description: Manage certificates for various connections involving signature verification, encryption, and back-channel authentication to effectively process messages to and from partners.
component: pingfederate
version: 13.1
page_id: pingfederate:administrators_reference_guide:pf_managing_certificates_from_partners
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingfederate/13.1/administrators_reference_guide/pf_managing_certificates_from_partners.html
llms_txt: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingfederate/llms.txt
docs_for_agents: https://developer.pingidentity.com/build-with-ai/docs-for-agents.md
revdate: July 8, 2024
section_ids:
  about-this-task: About this task
  signature-verification: Signature verification
  steps: Steps
  encryption: Encryption
  steps-2: Steps
  back-channel-authentication: Back-channel authentication
  steps-3: Steps
---

# Managing certificates from partners

Manage certificates for various connections involving signature verification, encryption, and back-channel authentication to effectively process messages to and from partners.

## About this task

You receive certificates from partners for signature verification, encryption, and back-channel authentication. They are managed within connections.

|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| - | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | Depending on the use cases, your connection to the partner might not require signature verification, encryption, inbound (SOAP) back-channel authentication by client certificate, or any such combinations. If so, the **Activation & Summary** window does not display the related administrative window. |

## Signature verification

Specify one or more certificates that PingFederate can use to validate the digital signatures found in inbound messages from your partners.

### Steps

1. Select the connection to reach its **Activation & Summary** window.

2. Select **Signature Verification Certificate**.

3. Click **Manage Certificates**.

   |   |                                                                                                                                                    |
   | - | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
   |   | You can import, export, review, activate, deactivate, and remove certificates for signature verification on the **Certificate Management** window. |

## Encryption

Specify a certificate that PingFederate uses to encrypt outbound messages before delivering them to your partners.

### Steps

1. Select the connection to reach its **Activation & Summary** window.

2. Select **Select XML Encryption Certificate**.

3. Click **Manage Certificates**.

   |   |                                                                                                                            |
   | - | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
   |   | You can import, export, review, activate, and remove certificates for encryption on the **Certificate Management** window. |

## Back-channel authentication

Specify a certificate that PingFederate uses to authenticate inbound (SOAP) messages from your partners by their client certificates.

### Steps

1. Select the connection to reach its **Activation & Summary** window.

2. Select **SSL Verification Certificate**.

3. Click **Manage Certificates**.

   |   |                                                                                                                                             |
   | - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
   |   | You can import, export, review, activate, and remove certificates for back-channel authentication on the **Certificate Management** window. |