A standard for certificates is defined in the ITU-T Recommendation X.509. Cryptography Cryptography refers to a family of technologies that include encryption, decryption, authentication, and digital signatures. Encryption transforms data into an unreadable form to ensure privacy. Internet communication is like sending postcards in the mail. Anyone who is interested can read an Internet message.
Encryption offers the digital equivalent of a sealed envelope.
Authentication identifies an entity such as an individual, a machine on the network, or an organization. Digital signatures bind a document to the owner of a particular key and are the digital equivalent of paper signatures. All cryptographic technologies make use of sophisticated mathematical techniques. For more information on cryptography, please see RSA's Frequently Asked Questions . All Rights Reserved.