In public key infrastructure, which entity issues digital certificates?

In public key infrastructure, which entity issues digital certificates?

• A. Certificate authorities
• B. Digital certificates
• C. Certificate lifecycle management
• D. Public keys

Answer: (A)

In PKI, a certificate authority is the trusted entity responsible for issuing digital certificates. It verifies the identity of the entity requesting a certificate and signs the certificate with its private key, creating a verifiable link between the public key in the certificate and the identity it asserts. This signature establishes trust; systems that trust the CA can validate that the public key truly belongs to the asserted subject. This is the best answer because the question asks who issues the digital certificate itself. The digital certificate is the holder of the public key and identity information that gets issued, not the signer. The certificate lifecycle management is about the processes of creating, renewing, revoking certificates, not the issuer. Public keys are the cryptographic keys used for encryption and verification, not the issuer of certificates.

In PKI, a certificate authority is the trusted entity responsible for issuing digital certificates. It verifies the identity of the entity requesting a certificate and signs the certificate with its private key, creating a verifiable link between the public key in the certificate and the identity it asserts. This signature establishes trust; systems that trust the CA can validate that the public key truly belongs to the asserted subject.

This is the best answer because the question asks who issues the digital certificate itself. The digital certificate is the holder of the public key and identity information that gets issued, not the signer. The certificate lifecycle management is about the processes of creating, renewing, revoking certificates, not the issuer. Public keys are the cryptographic keys used for encryption and verification, not the issuer of certificates.