Public-Key Infrastructure Definition
Public-Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a framework consisting of roles, policies, procedures, and technologies that are needed to create, manage, distribute, use, store, and revoke digital certificates. It provides a set of security controls and protocols for verifying and authenticating the validity of each entity involved in a digital transaction.
Public-Key Infrastructure Key Points
- PKI is a fundamental security framework for digital transactions.
- It enables encryption, digital signatures, and certificate-based authentication.
- PKI includes policies, procedures, and technology for managing and authenticating digital entities.
What is Public-Key Infrastructure?
Public-Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a vital technology in the digital world, both for individual internet users and organizations. It provides the foundation for the encryption and decryption of data transmitted over networks, thereby ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and security of digital information. It is based on a cryptographic technique that uses two mathematically linked, but not identical, keys – a pair of a public key and a private key.
Who uses Public-Key Infrastructure?
PKI is widely used in various sectors including public services, finance, healthcare, telecommunications, and more. Individuals use PKI to secure email communications, authenticate web servers, and protect sensitive data. Corporations use PKI for secure access to internal networks, protection of financial transactions, and encryption of corporate communications.
Why is Public-Key Infrastructure important?
Public-Key Infrastructure is important because it provides a method for verifying and authenticating the identity of entities involved in digital transactions. It protects against cyberattacks and ensures the integrity and security of digital information by preventing unauthorized access. Its foundation in cryptography makes it a potent solution for protecting against data breaches and cybercrime.
Where is Public-Key Infrastructure implemented?
PKI is implemented across various digital platforms and technologies including email systems, web applications, Internet of Things (IoTs) devices, amongst others. Its implementation ranges from protect personal data transmitted over the internet, authorizing online payments, authenticating users for corporate network access, and much more.
How does Public-Key Infrastructure work?
Public-Key Infrastructure works by digitally signing and encrypting data using a set of two mathematically linked keys (the public and private keys of a key pair). The public key is used for encryption or to verify a signature, while the private key is used for decryption or to sign a digital document. The security of the transaction is ensured by the fact that only the corresponding private key can decrypt data encrypted with the public key, and vice versa. The public key is made available in a digital certificate, whereas the corresponding private key is kept secret. The certificates are issued and verified by a trusted authority known as a Certificate Authority (CA).
