Digital certificates are electronic files that are used to uniquely identify people and resources over networks such as the Internet. Digital certificates also enable secure, confidential communication between two parties. When you travel to another country, your passport provides a universal way to establish your identity and gain entry.
Digital certificates provide similar identification.
Once a CA has signed a certificate, the holder can present their certificate to people, Web sites, and network resources to prove their identity and establish encrypted, confidential communications. Digital certificates are based on public-key cryptography, which uses a pair of keys for encryption and decryption. In cryptographic systems, the term key refers to a numerical value used by an algorithm to alter information, making that information secure and visible only to individuals who have the corresponding key to recover the information. The public key can be freely distributed without compromising the private key, which must be kept secret by its owner. All rights reserved.