Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a system that combines digital certificates, digital signatures, and public/private key pairs to enable secure communication over the internet. Provides a process to verify the authenticity of digital identities and to be sure digital communication is true.
How PKI Works
CA (Certifying Authority): It is a trusted entity which issues digital certificates in order to obtain a CA.
Digital Certificates—A digital certificate is an electronic document with specifics about its owner, namely the owner’s public key and associated information.
Public and Private Keys: Specifically a pair of cryptographic keys, one public and one private, used for performing encryption and decryption.
Digital Signatures — A cryptographic signature that specifies the authenticity, integrity of a digital message or document.
Key Components of PKI
Certificate Authority (CA): Provides certificates, manages them, and revokes digital signatures.
Registration Authority (RA) — Responsible for identity verification of the certificate applicants.
A Certificate Directory is something like a storage room for certificates.
Certificate Revocation List (CRL): A set of revoked certificates.
Applications of PKI
Secure Email: Maintaining the confidentiality and authenticity of email communication.
Website Filing: Test if the on-line websites are consider and be guarded from phishing
Add / Protected File Transfer: Protection of file as it moves.
Digital signatures: Making sure that digital documents (the proofs) are real
VPN Authentication : For securely authenticating users in remote access systems.
Challenges and Considerations
Complexity of certificate management: Managing digital certificates from issuance, renewal to revocation can be a complex endeavor.
Trust in CAs: The entire security of PKI is based on the trust on CA which issued the certificate.
Scalability PKI needs to be able to scale well as the number of devices and users grows.
Cost: A PKI can be expensive to set up and carry out.
Conclusion
PKI is a basic technology behind protecting digital communications and protecting sensitive information. With knowledge about PKI fundamentals and its use, organizations can achieve a high level of security.
