what is public key infrastructure for
A public key infrastructure (PKI) is the combination of software, encryption technologies, processes, and services that enable an organization to secure its communications and business transactions.
A PKI is a set of services combined to form an infrastructure for the purpose securing applications. A PKI provides these services to applications: 1  Certificate Authority â Digitally signs a certificate that contains an identity and a key. 2  This process is called certification. 3  Key Backup and Recovery â A means to restore lost or damaged certificates.