Public-Key Infrastructure

Public-Key Infrastructure Key Points

• Public-Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a crucial element in securing digital communications.
• It enables the creation, storage, distribution and management of digital certificates.
• PKI is employed in various applications such as email, digital signatures and secure web access.
• It uses a dual key system – a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption.
• PKI infrastructure consists of a Certificate Authority (CA) which issues and verifies digital certificates.

Public-Key Infrastructure Definition

Public-Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a set of roles, policies, and procedures needed to create, manage, distribute, use, store, and revoke digital certificates and manage public-key encryption. It is an arrangement that binds public keys with respective user identities by means of a certificate authority (CA).

What is Public-Key Infrastructure?

Public-Key Infrastructure is a technology for authenticating users and devices in the digital world.
The primary function of PKI is to generate, manage and terminate the lifecycle of public and private cryptographic keys.
It includes the necessary hardware, software, policies and standards to manage digital certificates and public-key encryption.

Who Uses Public-Key Infrastructure?

Public-Key Infrastructure is used by individuals, businesses and organizations that require secure digital identities.
This can range from email users, to e-commerce sites, to government agencies and more.
It is also used by companies that need to securely exchange data over networks, including the internet.

When is Public-Key Infrastructure Used?

Public-Key Infrastructure is used any time there is a need to establish credibility and secure communication.
This can be when signing into a secure website, sending a secure email, or using a virtual private network (VPN).
It can also be used when validating a software developer’s identity to ensure the software being installed is not malicious.

Where is Public-Key Infrastructure Used?

Public-Key Infrastructure is used in a variety of digital environments.
It is used in both public and private networks to secure communications and verify identities.
In the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency, PKI is used to secure transactions and wallet identities.

Why is Public-Key Infrastructure Important?

Public-Key Infrastructure is important because it is a critical component in securing digital communications.
It provides a way to verify identities and establish trust in the digital world.
Without PKI, it would be difficult to verify the authenticity of digital identities and secure communications would be at risk.

How Does Public-Key Infrastructure Work?

Public-Key Infrastructure works by using a dual key system – a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption.
The public key is freely available and can be used by anyone to encrypt a message.
However, the encrypted message can only be decrypted by someone with the corresponding private key.
This ensures that only the intended recipient can read the message.
The PKI infrastructure also includes a Certificate Authority (CA) which issues and verifies digital certificates.
These certificates are used to verify the public key belongs to the individual or organization it is associated with.