A PKI Certificate Follows the Standards for Public Key Infrastructure

A PKI certificate is created based upon the current standards for public key infrastructure. These standards can be applied to basic digital certificates, as well as those used as digital signatures. This type of certificate is designed to be used anytime organizations require increased security for various electronic processes and procedures. For each certificate request, there is a pair of certificates generated and created. One certificate should be retained by the user or business and never shared outside of the organization. This certificate contains the private key which is needed for encryption and decryption processes. The other certificate is intended to be shared by anyone who requires it, and contains the public key. The public key is also used for encryption and decryption processes that are verified against the private key any time data is shared.

Authentication Processes for a PKI Certificate Run in the Background

Whenever you use a PKI certificate, there are specific processes which run in the background to verify and authenticate users. Users typically do not see these processes run as they are being executed, mostly because they only take seconds to complete. Authentication is verified by ensuring the public key sequence matches the private key sequence. These processes may be verified and authenticated directly with your certificate authority system, through the use of other certificates or acceptance of software license agreements that control how authentication is accomplished. The routing for your authentication procedures is something you need to decide and determine when you are creating digital certificates.