What is PKI? A Guide to Public Key Infrastructure

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PKI is a system used to protect sensitive data through encryption and authentication. It enables secure transactions in everything from email and e-commerce to VPNs and secure web browsing. Using public and private cryptographic keys , PKI helps create a secure environment where data can be transmitted without fear of interception or tampering.

In this article, we'll look at what PKI is, why it's important, and how it works to ensure secure digital communications.

Table of contents

What is PKI (Public Key Infrastructure)?
Why is PKI important for cybersecurity?
PKI Components
How does PKI work?
PKI Certificates: What Are They and Why Are They Important?
Common examples of PKI use
Benefits of implementing PKI
Problems and Limitations of PKI
What is PKI (Public Key Infrastructure)?
PKI stands for Public Key Infrastructure , a system for mobile app development service managing and distributing encryption keys. It ensures that sensitive information can be transmitted over unsecured networks such as the Internet without being intercepted or modified. PKI uses a combination of two cryptographic keys: a public key that can be accessed by anyone, and a private key that is kept secret by its owner.

These keys work together to encrypt and decrypt messages, ensuring that information remains private and accessible only to the intended recipient. PKI is essential for secure communications, especially in online environments where data integrity and authenticity are critical.




Why is PKI important for cybersecurity?
In the era of digital transformation, security breaches are becoming more frequent and sophisticated. This is where PKI comes in to protect sensitive data. Using a pair of cryptographic keys and digital certificates, PKI ensures that:

The data is encrypted , making it unreadable to unauthorized users.
Authenticity is verified to ensure that the person or system you are communicating with is legitimate.
Integrity is ensured to ensure that the data has not been tampered with during transmission.
PKI supports secure email communications , financial transactions , e-commerce , and even protects internal networks using virtual private networks (VPNs) .

PKI Components
Understanding the individual elements that make up a PKI is essential to understanding how it works. At its core, a PKI includes several key components that work together to create a robust security system:

1. Keys: Public and Private
To encrypt and decrypt data, PKI uses pairs of cryptographic keys – public and private keys.

Public key : Freely distributed and used by anyone to encrypt information .
Private Key : Kept securely by its owner and used to decrypt data encrypted with the corresponding public key.