Here's a breakdown of what best describes PKI:
* Secure Communication: PKI provides a framework for establishing secure communication channels between parties, ensuring data confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity.
* Digital Certificates: PKI relies on digital certificates, which are electronic documents that bind a public key to a specific identity. These certificates are issued by trusted Certificate Authorities (CAs).
* Public Key Cryptography: PKI uses public key cryptography, where each user has a public key and a private key. The public key can be shared freely, while the private key is kept secret.
* Identity Verification: PKI enables the verification of identities by using digital certificates to confirm that a user or device is who or what they claim to be.
* Trust Management: PKI establishes a hierarchical trust system, with CAs at the top, issuing certificates to users and devices.
* Applications: PKI has numerous applications, including secure email communication, website authentication, digital signatures, secure data storage, and secure network access.
In summary, PKI is a comprehensive system that provides a foundation for trust and security in digital interactions.