Why would I want to password-protect a pfx file?

Question

I have inherited a VS2k5 project; it's an Outlook add-in distributed as a DLL.

When I try to compile the project, it asks for a password (which I don't know) because there is a password-protected pfx file and the assembly is signed. Since I don't know the password, I can't compile the solution without deleting the pfx file, or unchecking the Sign Assembly checkbox.

My question is, what's the password for? I would like any developer with access to our source control repository now or in the future to be able to compile this project without entering any additional passwords. So if I delete this pfx file and generate a new one without password protecting the new one, and then I deploy the resulting DLL, am I losing any security on the new DLL now that the pfx is no longer password protected?

Answer 1

Password protection adds another layer of security to your pfx.

Since a password protected pfx will prompt you to enter the password, it will be hard for any unauthorized individual to use the pfx and sign and certify some other assembly with your pfx.