Your Public Key Infrastructure relies upon different components to work successfully. PKI is the art of using encryption to transfer sensitive details across the Internet. When it comes to setting up and implementing your Public Key Infrastructure, you will discover that the Registration Authority plays a crucial role.
Authentication is the key that makes PKI a success. From the beginning of the PKI Scheme to implementing your public and private keys, without authenticating personal data, there is no way to verify that the data being transferred is legitimate. This is where the Registration Authority comes into play.
When someone applies for a public key, they will approach a Certificate Authority. The Certificate Authority will present the company or individual’s credentials to the Registration Authority, and the Registration Authority will determine whether or not the information is correct. If it is, they will issue a digital certificate and the user will have their public and private key.
The Registration Authority does not sign the Digital Certificate; this is a task reserved for the Certificate Authority. However, it is the primary entity or organization that verifies the applicant’s identity and verifies their information. And in a PKI scheme, that organization is the Registration Authority.
The Registration Authority works in conjunction with the Certificate Authority. The RA collects and verifies all of the information regarding the applicant or subscriber’s identity. This information, once proved valid, will be entered into the public certificate. The Registration Authority is in charge of many aspects of the certification process in the Public Key Authority scheme.
The Registration Authority will utilize methods such as In Person Proofing to verify the identity of the potential subscriber. In Person Proofing, is the process in which the Registration Authority identifies a person at a Post Office. This procedure is used as verification before issuing a Certificate from a Certificate Authority. In addition, the RA also verifies and validates the documents used to prove the subscriber’s identity, and handles issues such as enrollment and registration, issuing credentials, credential usage, and revocation.
Once the Registration Authority verifies the information, they give the clearance for the Certificate Authority to issue the certificate. Without the Registration Authority, the CA would not have the clearance needed to implement the Public Key Infrastructure scheme.
The Public Key Infrastructure is important to anyone who is going to be online. Whether you are looking at bank records, purchasing items online, or sending emails that must be kept confidential, a PKI scheme is critical to ensuring that this data is kept secret.
No matter how large or small your company may be, if you are in any business that handles sensitive data or financial records, it is imperative that you implement a PKI scheme and protect your customers’ as well as your company’s information.
There are a number of different PKI schemes that you can choose from and implement. They come in a variety of price ranges, and offer different services to different companies. Make sure that you choose the PKI scheme that best meets your needs.