Varmenne

Varmenne is a Finnish term meaning a certificate or credential. In general usage, it denotes any official document or attestation that confirms a person’s identity, qualifications, or authority. In information technology, varmenne refers specifically to a digital certificate used within public key infrastructure (PKI) to authenticate an entity and enable encrypted communications. A varmenne binds a public key to an identity and is issued by a trusted certification authority (CA). It contains information such as the subject name, issuer, validity period, and the subject’s public key, and it is digitally signed by the CA.

Digital certificates are used to establish secure connections (for example, TLS/SSL web traffic), to sign software, and to enable client authentication within private networks. Types include server certificates, client certificates, and code-signing certificates. Validation may involve revocation checks using certificate revocation lists (CRLs) or Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP). The security of a varmenne depends on the trustworthiness of the issuing CA and the integrity of the PKI infrastructure.

In Finland and other Nordic countries, varmente are widely adopted to support secure e-services, online banking, and government digital identity schemes. The concept originated from international standards such as X.509 and PKIX, which define the data formats and procedures for certificate issuance, verification, and management.

See also: PKI, TLS, X.509, certificate authority, CRL, OCSP, code signing.