Structure of the Community

The community is structured roughly like an onion:

Users. The community itself is formed primarily of users who register at the website. Current numbers indicate around 92k, although many of these are inactive. Users may create certificates, and when they are Assurered to 50 points, can create certificates with their names in them.

Assurers. Of the users, there are approximately 8900 Assurers, who have gained 100 points. Their role is to verify identity documentation and allocate points. Assurers are currently undergoing an audit-driven change where they will be trained and tested. This is expected to create a basic standard, at the expense of lowering the gross number of Assurers dramatically.

Officers. Some of the Assurers also work as "Officers" or in other active or senior roles. These are divided up into three different areas: technical, business, policy. This group is somewhere between 10 and 100, depending on how they are counted. A special group is the Advisory, which consists of three senior experienced IT professionals that provide independent advice (and includes the current Auditor).

Association. The core is a legal Association incorporated in NSW, Australia. This is the owner of Intellectual Property assets, the operator of the services, and the ultimate decision maker. The Association normally conducts an Annual General Meeting of its members, and elects a committee ("board"). There are approximately 50 members who pay an annual membership fee.


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Contact: PRO@CAcert.org - Public Relations Officer