Safe handling of digital data gains in significance with the continuous spreading of information technological systems. Digital certificates, as a requirement for using such systems, loom large in the area of data security. An astonishing range of formats and standards came along with the increasing propagation of digital certificates. For that reason, a person interested in making usage of the numerous applications information technology offers, often has to be in possession of more than one certificate.

The project of this diploma thesis takes up at this point and tries to cope with the task of building a tool in form of a software application, that allows clearly managing and securely storing of digital certificates. In addition, new application areas will be accomplished for those certificates to extend their range of application.

The result of this project is an application called PrivaTray that offers comprehensive functionality in the range of digital certificate?s management and the possibility of file and directory encryption. The introduction of user profiles allows the application to operate in a multi-user environment. Next to the feasibility of importing digital certificates coming in various formats, and the respective export functionality, PrivaTray is also capable of certificate generation. The integrated file encryption by means of modern encryption algorithms and the stored certificate?s keys tops functions off.

It is the hope of the authors to facilitate the handling of security sensitive information technological solutions for the PrivaTray application?s users and for this reason to make a contribution to privacy protection in a fast changing information society.