Definition
A Certificate Authority (CA) is a trusted entity that generates and stores asymmetric key pairs for decryption, signing, validation, and public-key infrastructure (PKI).
It creates a root certificate to digitally sign firmware updates, code, and other items that need a digital signature. The certificate authority server also manages the certificate enrollment requests.
CA Server Functions
- Review public documents to authenticate the legitimacy of people, businesses, and domain names.
- Provides user, server, and admin authentication through digital certificates.
- Monitor certificate revocations to identify when certificates become invalid before their scheduled expiration.
- Allows the creation of both root and subordinate issuer CAs.
- Uses reputable authentication techniques for both administrators and users.
- Allows the creation of different certificate profiles.
CA Server Benefits
- Encryption for secure internet communications.
- Authentication by proving the entity’s identification.
- Third parties cannot alter certificate-signed documents in transit.