At the AOC we continue to work to guarantee a safe, stable environment aligned with current European regulations. In this context, we will begin the process of changing the current Bit4id JCOP 3 cryptographic cards (with expiration date July 22, 2030) and we will replace them with new ones JCOP 4, also from Bit4id.
This change is part of the natural life cycle of cryptographic media and does not entail any modification in the operation of the services, nor in the software used, nor in their validity.
Reason for renewal
✔ Compliance with eIDAS regulations
According to European Regulation eIDAS, the qualified certificates must always be housed in qualified devicesThis ensures that the generation and custody of private keys meets the highest security standards established by the European Union.
✔ Limitation of validity of cryptographic media
The current regulatory developments establish that the Qualified cryptographic devices can only have a maximum validity of 5 yearsThis directly affects media such as the JCOP 3 card, which is reaching the end of its regulatory cycle and must be replaced by a current and certified technology, such as the card JCOP 4.
Impact on end users
For users the change will be completely transparent:
- No new software will need to be installed.
- JCOP3 cards will remain valid until their expiration date.
- The signing, authentication and access processes will remain the same.
- From July 15th, any certificate requested will be generated with the new support. JCOP 4 without this leading to any change in the user experience.
Impact for T-CAT Registration Entities
For registration entities yes, there will be a necessary action:
- It will be necessary replace the current stock of JCOP 3 cards for the new ones JCOP 4, for this reason we will be contacting each of you.
- From the indicated date, the old media will no longer work for issuing certificates and you will be advised that you must use the new model. The issuance, registration and activation procedures will not change.
Migration calendar
We will inform you about the exact dates of all changes.
See the most recent post about this change: Reminder: change in T-CAT cards (JCOP4)