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Public key certificates are cryptographic documents used to verify the identity of a named party when communicating on the internet. They consist of a digital signature, a sender’s public key, and other identifying information. They are issued by certificate authorities and are used for secure communications and electronic commerce.
A public key certificate is a cryptographic document used by computers to verify the identity of a named party when communicating on the Internet or other network. These certificates typically consist of a digital signature from a certificate authority, a sender’s public key, and other identifying information to verify a sender’s identity to a recipient. Public key certificates are an established part of secure network and Internet communications.
A public key certificate falls under the umbrella of computer cryptography, which involves converting data into a secure format that makes it unreadable to others without the proper means to make it decipherable. A vital component of a public key certificate is the public key algorithm, a kind of mathematical code. The public key algorithm allows encryption of data exchanged between computers while providing secure remote access to a user through interaction with a private key. The encrypted format of public key certificates helps ensure privacy in communications, especially sensitive email correspondence and electronic commerce.
Public key certificates consist of multiple components, such as the textual and numeric name of the recipient of the document, the digital signature of the recipient, and the certificate authority that issued the public key. Important data such as the certificate issue and expiration date, the encryption algorithm and an identification code are included to prove the authenticity of the certificate. Certificates are issued for a limited period of time, must be renewed one or more times a year and can be revoked if circumstances require.
A certificate authority is responsible for issuing public key certificates and can be private, commercial or governmental in nature. Private and commercial authorities typically charge for issuing digital certificates, which are accepted by most Internet-based web browsing applications. These entities take measures to protect against certificate manipulation and help maintain the confidentiality of the sensitive data contained in the certificate. While it is ultimately up to the user visiting a Web site to determine the security of their communications, certificate authorities are required and trusted to verify the identity of those to whom they issue public key certificates.
The most common use of a public key certificate is for interacting with Internet-based websites. A recipient’s computer validates a sender’s website credentials, so that the user has authentic interaction with that website and a level of security. This type of certificate-based authentication plays an important role in secure communications and electronic commerce.
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