Symbian Signed - overview

Symbian Signed website

The Symbian Signed website is the resource for developer to request developer certificates and to submit applications to be tested and signed. Here you will also find additional tools and documents like the Symbian Signed test criteria.

Publisher ID

The Publisher ID is a certificate used to identify the company requesting developer certificates and submitting applications for Symbian Signing. A Publisher ID is not always needed but will in many cases make the development process easier.

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Certificate during development

When using capabilities other than the "User Grantable" capabilities the application is required to be signed against the Symbian root certificate to install on a real device. To allow users to test there applications on a real phone during development the user can get a developer certificate using the Open Signed option from the Symbian Signed web site. The developer certificate will be limited to a certain number of phones based on the IMEI number.

Final signing of the application

Once the application is completed it's time to get the application Symbian Signed. Do this by using the Express Singed or Certified signed options at the Symbian Signed website.

Signing options

Open Signed

Open Signed is used to get a Symbian Signed developer certificate. The certificate is created per device IMEI number.

Express Signed

Express Signed is an option, similar to self signing, to have your Symbian C++ application signed without involving a test house. Before using the Express Signed option the developer shall make sure that the application has passed all of the tests outlined in the test criteria document. Auditing will be performed by an independent test house. To use this new signing option a Publisher ID is required. In addition to the cost for the Publisher ID there will be a USD 20 fee per signing event. All platform security capabilities are available except: CommDD, MultimediaDD, NetworkControl, DiskAdmin, DRM, AllFiles, TCB.

Certified Signed

Certified Signed involves an independent test house and is considered to be the most trusted signing option. Applications making use of any of the capabilities: CommDD, DiskAdmin, NetworkControl, MultimediaDD must use the Ceritified Signed option and go though testing by a test house. For Certified Signed a Publisher ID is required.

Capabilities

In Symbian OS v9.x, the platform security introduced the capabilities model to restrict access to the most sensitive APIs and provide more security to the users.

Symbian Signed is not mandatory although capabilities are granted though Symbian Signed and the most sensitive ones requires manufacturer approval.

Approximately 40% of the Symbian OS APIs are capability protected.

Capabilities access overview: