PKI (or Public Key Infrastructure) is the framework of encryption and cybersecurity that protects communications between the server (your website) and the client (the users). Think about all the information, people, and services that your team communicates and works with. PKI is essential in building a trusted and secure business environment by being able to verify and exchange data between various servers and users.
PKI performs encryption directly through the keys that it generates. It works by using two different cryptographic keys: a public key and a private key that encrypt and decrypt secure data. By using a two-key encryption system, PKI secures sensitive electronic information as it is passed back and forth between two parties, and provides each party with a key to encrypt and decrypt the digital data.
What is the difference between public key and private key encryption?
A public key is available to any user that connects with the website. A private key is a unique key generated when a connection is made, and it is kept secret. When communicating, the client uses the public key to encrypt and decrypt, and the server uses the private key. This protects the user’s information from theft or tampering.
Private and public PKI keys must work together. A file that is encrypted by the private key can only be decrypted by the public key, and vice versa. If the public key can only decrypt the file that has been encrypted by the private key, being able to decrypt that file assures that the intended receiver and sender took part in the informational transaction.
Why is PKI so important?
PKI is crucial for high security situations. With digital signing, along with public and private cryptographic keys, PKI provides trust that can be used to secure a variety of applications.
Say that you are transmitting data from a Mac workstation to a Mac server. How do you know that you are in fact transmitting your data to a server and not a hoax? Digital certificates prove the integrity and identification of both parties. They help verify that a particular public key belongs to a certain entity.
If the certificate was issued by a source the server knows and trusts, then the server will accept the certificate as proof of identity. It’s like the TSA officer verifying the validity of your driver’s license or passport authorized by the government.
You might be wondering what PKI security looks like in your day to day. PKI security is used in many ways, but primarily it is used for:
- Securing emails
- Securing web communications (such as retail transactions)
- Digitally signing software
- Digitally signing applications
- Encrypting files
- Decrypting files
- Smart card authentication
What is PKI Authentication?
PKI authentication (or public key infrastructure) is a framework for two-key asymmetric encryption and decryption of confidential electronic data. By way of digital certificate authorization, management, and authentication, a PKI can secure private data that is exchanged between several parties, which can take the form of people, servers, and systems.
PKI authentication using digital certificates is the most effective way to protect confidential electronic data. These digital certificates are incredibly detailed and unique to each individual user, making them nearly impossible to falsify.
Once a user is issued a unique certificate, the details incorporated into the certificate undergo a very thorough vetting process that includes PKI authentication and authorization. Certificates are backed by several security processes such as timestamping, registration, validation, and more to ensure the privacy of both the identity and the electronic data affiliated with the certificate.
Learn more about machine identity security, and how it can benefit your organization!
