OpenSSL is a very powerful cryptography utility, perhaps a little too powerful for the average user. With all the different command line options, it can be a daunting task figuring out how to do exactly what you want to do. Reading the contents of a certificate signing request (CSR ) is one of the common tasks that OpenSSL is useful for. What is a Certificate Signing Requests (CSR) Certificate Signing Requests (CSR) are sent to a Certificate Authority (CA) to be signed.