Digital Certificate

A digital certificate is a digital file that serves as an electronic document verifying the authenticity and integrity of a specific entity or individual in online communications. It is issued by a trusted third party, known as a Certificate Authority (CA), after verifying the identity of the subject of the certificate.

The certificate includes the subject’s public key, a unique identifier, expiration date, and the CA’s digital signature. The digital signature assures the integrity of the certificate by binding the subject’s public key and identifying information to the CA’s private key. This ensures that any communications or transactions involving the subject’s digital certificate can be trusted, as it establishes a secure connection and proves that the communication is not tampered with. Digital certificates play a crucial role in establishing secure connections for activities such as e-commerce, online banking, and secure email communication.