Under the present invention, when a request for a certificate is made, a set of (mapping) rules are used to identify an appropriate directory and any other information sources, and to retrieve information for the certificate therefrom. The directory name is then transformed using the set of rules for use in the certificate. Thereafter, a template for the certificate is developed using the set of rules. The template and the request are then communicated to the PKI, which will generate and return the certificate. Upon receipt, the present invention can verify that the certificate actually includes the transformed name.