Certificate Authority
A Certificate Authority (CA) is an entity that stores, signs, and issues digital certificates. It secures communication between devices by using signatures and public keys, allowing the receiving party to confirm the validity of the content they receive.
In a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), a CA is critical for managing digital certificates and ensuring the authenticity and security of communications and transactions. Integrating systems with a CA provides a robust framework for managing the lifecycle of digital certificates, from issuance to revocation.
CA integrations handle several important tasks, including:
- Generating key pairs: Create cryptographic key pairs for secure communications.
- Issuing certificates: Sign and issue digital certificates to verify identities.
- Distributing a certificate directory: Maintain a repository of issued certificates.
- Revoking invalid certificates: Revoke certificates that are no longer valid or trusted.
- Publishing certificate revocation lists (CRL): Provide lists of revoked certificates for reference.
- Destroying keying material: Safely destroy cryptographic keys when they are no longer needed.
- Ensuring compliance: Adhere to industry standards and regulatory requirements for certificate management.
The following guides help you leverage the full capabilities of your CA infrastructure, providing step-by-step instructions and best practices for seamless integration with CA systems: