--- title: Windows binaries are now signed with an EV certificate description: Ngrok's Windows executables are now signed with a DigiCert Extended Validation (EV) code signing certificate instead of a standard OV certificate. EV... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/windows-binaries-are-now-signed-with-an-ev-certificate-ek6b2pagt twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Windows binaries are now signed with an EV certificate | daily.dev og:description: Ngrok's Windows executables are now signed with a DigiCert Extended Validation (EV) code signing certificate instead of a standard OV certificate. EV... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/windows-binaries-are-now-signed-with-an-ev-certificate-ek6b2pagt og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/EK6B2pAgt.png og:image:alt: Windows binaries are now signed with an EV certificate og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Windows binaries are now signed with an EV certificate **[ngrok Blog](https://daily.dev/sources/ngrok)** · 2 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary Ngrok's Windows executables are now signed with a DigiCert Extended Validation (EV) code signing certificate instead of a standard OV certificate. EV certificates undergo stricter identity verification and require FIPS 140-2 level 3 hardware for key storage, which grants immediate trust with Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, eliminating the reputation build-up period OV certs require. Users can verify the signature via file properties or PowerShell; no action is needed from users, and the change should mean fewer or no Defender warnings when downloading ngrok on Windows. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### Why does Windows Defender SmartScreen show a warning when I download ngrok.exe? Standard OV code signing certificates need to build up reputation over time with Defender SmartScreen, so warnings can appear unpredictably even after a certificate is established. Ngrok switched its Windows binaries from a standard OV certificate to a DigiCert Extended Validation (EV) certificate, which grants immediate trust with Defender and should eliminate these warnings on fresh downloads. _Track how vendors like ngrok resolve Defender warning issues by following security-focused updates on daily.dev._ ### What is the difference between an OV and an EV code signing certificate? An EV (Extended Validation) certificate requires stricter identity verification of the publishing organization and mandates that the signing key be stored on FIPS 140-2 level 3 compliant hardware, unlike a standard OV certificate. Because of this stricter process, Microsoft grants EV-signed binaries immediate trust with Defender SmartScreen, while OV certificates must build reputation gradually over time. _Developers weighing code signing options can keep up with security tooling changes on daily.dev._ ### How can I verify that ngrok.exe is signed with a DigiCert EV certificate? Right-click ngrok.exe, select Properties, then Digital Signatures, and you should see ngrok, Inc. listed as the signer with a DigiCert EV certificate in the chain. Alternatively, running a PowerShell signature check should return StatusMessage: Signature verified with the certificate subject referencing ngrok, Inc. _Developers verifying binary integrity on Windows can find similar practical checks on daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [Microsoft Defender wrongly flags DigiCert certs as Trojan:Win32/Cerdigent.A\!dha](https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-defender-wrongly-flags-digicert-certs-as-trojan-win32-cerdigent-a-dha-upyvku4z0) · BleepingComputer · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Windows 11's driver signature requirement is one of the best anti-consumer security features out there](https://daily.dev/posts/windows-11-s-driver-signature-requirement-is-one-of-the-best-anti-consumer-security-features-out-the-peze2jn3v) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [How to Sign a Windows App with Electron Builder?](https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-sign-a-windows-app-with-electron-builder--o4f6nhgta) · Security Boulevard · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Code signing Windows apps may be easier and more secure with new Azure Artifact service • DEVCLASS](https://daily.dev/posts/code-signing-windows-apps-may-be-easier-and-more-secure-with-new-azure-artifact-service-devclass-txcjnjyqb) · DEVCLASS · 2 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#security](https://daily.dev/tags/security), [#devtools](https://daily.dev/tags/devtools), [#windows](https://daily.dev/tags/windows) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/windows-binaries-are-now-signed-with-an-ev-certificate-ek6b2pagt) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Windows binaries are now signed with an EV certificate","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/windows-binaries-are-now-signed-with-an-ev-certificate-ek6b2pagt","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/windows-binaries-are-now-signed-with-an-ev-certificate-ek6b2pagt"},"datePublished":"2026-08-23T07:20:31.825Z","dateModified":"2026-08-23T07:23:32.495Z","description":"Ngrok's Windows executables are now signed with a DigiCert Extended Validation (EV) code signing certificate instead of a standard OV certificate. 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