Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
What Is PKI?
Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a framework of policies, processes, and technologies that manages the creation, distribution, storage, and revocation of digital certificates and public keys, enabling secure communication and identity verification.
Core Components of PKI
| Component | Role |
|---|---|
| Certificate Authority (CA) | Issues and verifies digital certificates |
| Registration Authority (RA) | Verifies identity before certificate issuance |
| Digital Certificate | Binds a public key to an identity |
| Certificate Revocation List (CRL) | Tracks certificates that are no longer valid |
How PKI Builds Trust
When a certificate authority signs a digital certificate, it vouches for the identity of the certificate holder, allowing other parties to trust the public key contained within it without having met the holder directly.
Common Uses of PKI
PKI underpins HTTPS websites, secure email, code signing, and VPN authentication, making it one of the most widely relied-upon trust frameworks on the internet.
PKI establishes trust for encrypted communication, and that trust must be verified whenever a user or system tries to access a resource - which brings us to authentication and authorization.
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