The Ultimate Guide to the SafeNet Authentication Client for Software Signing

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Learn all about the SafeNet Authentication Client — an authentication and secure key storage tool that minimizes malware infection and code tampering risks in your software by protecting your private signing key and securing your code signing process 

Open Text reports that in 2024, 37.6% of malware was hiding in users’ download folders.

Code signing enables software publishers and developers to assert their identities and confirm the authenticity and integrity of their software apps or code by adding a unique certificate-based digital signature. This is great from a security and software integrity perspective.

However, should that certificate (or, more accurately, its private key) become compromised, then these tiny certificate files become inherently dangerous. Attackers can use them to impersonate your organization to trick users into downloading and running malware-infected versions of your software or code.

The SafeNet Authentication Client minimizes these risks. This free platform helps organizations swiftly generate and store private keys, manage digital certificates, authenticate users, and sign codes with a high level of security.

This article is the first of a two-part series that explores everything about the SafeNet authentication and discover why it’s such a critical tool for code signing.

What Is the SafeNet Authentication Client?

The SafeNet Authentication Client is a unified “middleware” solution developed by Thales (former Gemalto). This client, which works with multiple Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) and Common Criteria (CC) EAL4+ certified devices, enables you to securely manage the digital certificates issued by your certificate authority (CA) and their corresponding cryptographic keys.

Securely generating and storing your cryptographic keys on one of these devices shields them against attackers and malware while ensuring that the following hardware token-based operations can be safely executed from virtually any device and operating system (i.e., Windows, Mac, and Linux):

• Code and document signing,
• Encryption (as part of digital signature processes), and
• Two-factor authentication for network access and smart card usage

The SafeNet Authentication Client includes two user interfaces:

1. SafeNet Authentication Client Tray Icon. A Windows shortcut that provides quick access to your SafeNet Authentication Tools dashboard.

2. SafeNet Authentication Client Tools. This interface allows you to view everything about each connected token (e.g., name, capabilities, and key and certificate information, etc.) and manage each token’s password and profile. This is also where you can select and activate a token (when you have more than one connected to your device), and lock or unlock a token.

What SafeNet Authentication Does & Why It’s Fundamental for Secure Code Signing

With SafeNet Authentication Client, you can securely sign virtually any type of code and scripts, including C# apps, Windows drivers, Excel macros, .MSI, .EXE, Java, and .NET files. This certificate management software facilitates secure code signing by:

• Generating and storing your code signing certificates and private key on a cryptographically secure hardware device. That’s surely a better solution than saving them on a device where they could be easily stolen or compromised by attackers or malware.
• Enabling robust two-factor authentication. Did the bad guys manage to crack your password? They will need more than that for their fraudulent activities. The SafeNet Authentication Client requires users to supply both their physical SafeNet eToken authenticator and password in order to use a digital signing certificate.
• Empowering you to automate repetitive code signing tasks. As you well know, developers are busy bees. Automation is key as it reduces the chance of human errors and speeds up otherwise time-consuming processes. When you enable SafeNet Authentication Client’s single logon feature, even if you have to sign hundreds of files for one build, you’ll have to enter your password only once until you log out of the tool.

In simple terms, the SafeNet Authentication Client makes code signing a breeze while protecting users against private key compromise. Cool, huh?

Pro Tip: Does your organization have so many certificate users that you’re afraid you will end up like 51% of businesses interviewed by DigiCert that don’t know how many certificates they have? And how many physical tokens do you have to keep track of and manage? Avoid the hassle by opting for standard or extended validation (EV) cloud signing certificates instead.

A cloud-based solution like GoGetSSL Cloud Signing lets you generate and store your users’ certificates and keys in the cloud without giving them direct access to the keys or worrying about the physical security of a hardware token. No more hassles with setting up and managing USB tokens or tracking down who in the office has each of the signing devices!

Now, let’s go back to the SafeNet Authentication Client and discover the key features and benefits it brings for developers and software publishers.

SafeNet Authentication Client’s Code Signing Essential Features

All code signing certificates must comply with the (CA/B) Forum’s industry standards, which require all code signing certificates to have their keys generated and stored on secure hardware. The SafeNet Authentication Client fulfills these standards.

Do you have a DigiCert or Sectigo code signing certificate? You’re in luck. They both use SafeNet by default. That means that when you purchase a code signing certificate from CodeSigningStore.com, the private key is generated and stored on a secure USB eToken that works with the SafeNet Authentication Client, such as:

• SafeNet eToken 5110 FIPS
• SafeNet eToken 510+ FIPS
• SafeNet eToken 5110 CC (RSA 4096 & ECC) 

Other SafeNet Authentication’s key features include:

• Smart card support,
• Security, profiles, and policy customizations,
• Multiple language support,
• Automatic code signing certificate selection.

7 SafeNet Authentication Client’s Benefits for Code Signing

The SafeNet Authentication Client offers plenty of benefits for businesses. Here are the ones that can make a difference for software publishers, developers, and users of code signing certificate in general. SafeNet Authentication Client Tools:

1. Improve productivity through automation and multi-platform support.
2. Work with virtually any standard certificate-based security application, allowing developers to add their digital signatures to software from any client.
3. Integrate with developer tools such as Visual Studio and Microsoft Build Engine (MSBuild).
4. Offer secure multifactor authentication (MFA) for private key security.
5. Support several models of USB tokens and smart cards.
6. Include a virtual keyboard against keylogger attacks.

Getting Started with the SafeNet Authentication

If you’ve purchased a DigiCert or Sectigo code signing certificate and have received the SafeNet (or SafeNet-compatible) USB hardware token, your next step is to download and install the latest SafeNet dongle drivers and client from DigiCert or Sectigo. That will ensure your system can detect your code signing certificate.

We’ll go through the download and installation process of the SafeNet token driver for Windows 10 and 11, Linux, and macOS in more detail in our next article. In the meantime, discover how to set up your secure USB token in three easy steps. 

Final Words About SafeNet Authentication

Code signing fosters trust in your software and organization by asserting your verified digital identity and confirming the authenticity and integrity of your code. The SafeNet Authentication Client helps you further increase that trust by implementing a comprehensive code signing solution that’s flexible, secure, and efficient.

So, get your code signing certificate ready because, in our next article of the series, you’ll learn how to download and install the SafeNet Authentication Client step by step. Stay tuned!