Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the primary purpose of a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)?
What is the primary purpose of a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)?
- To manage hardware components in a network.
- To facilitate secure electronic communication. (correct)
- To maintain digital certificates only.
- To enforce user password policies.
Which component of a PKI is responsible for issuing and signing digital certificates?
Which component of a PKI is responsible for issuing and signing digital certificates?
- Validation Authority (VA)
- Certificate Authority (CA) (correct)
- Registration Authority (RA)
- Encryption Authority (EA)
What must a person present to the Registration Authority (RA) when requesting a personal certificate?
What must a person present to the Registration Authority (RA) when requesting a personal certificate?
- A social security card.
- A government-issued identification.
- A passport or similar identification. (correct)
- Proof of address document.
What does the PKI bind public keys to?
What does the PKI bind public keys to?
Which of the following is NOT a component of a standard PKI design?
Which of the following is NOT a component of a standard PKI design?
In what situation is a PKI particularly necessary?
In what situation is a PKI particularly necessary?
How is proof of ownership of a public key established within a PKI?
How is proof of ownership of a public key established within a PKI?
What is required for a web server to request a certificate from a CA like Let's Encrypt?
What is required for a web server to request a certificate from a CA like Let's Encrypt?
What is required to verify the validity of a request for a certificate?
What is required to verify the validity of a request for a certificate?
Which of the following is a challenge used by Let's Encrypt for certificate requests?
Which of the following is a challenge used by Let's Encrypt for certificate requests?
What is the role of the Validation Authority (VA) in a PKI design?
What is the role of the Validation Authority (VA) in a PKI design?
What happens if a Certificate Authority's root certificate is compromised?
What happens if a Certificate Authority's root certificate is compromised?
In the Web of Trust model, what does Alice need to do to trust Bob's public key?
In the Web of Trust model, what does Alice need to do to trust Bob's public key?
Which of the following is a disadvantage of using a CA as a root of trust?
Which of the following is a disadvantage of using a CA as a root of trust?
What is the main purpose of DNS-01 challenge in certificate requests?
What is the main purpose of DNS-01 challenge in certificate requests?
Which statement about the CA, RA and VA is correct?
Which statement about the CA, RA and VA is correct?
Flashcards
What is a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)?
What is a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)?
A PKI is a system of roles, policies, and tools used to create, manage, distribute, and revoke digital certificates for public-key encryption.
What's the purpose of a PKI?
What's the purpose of a PKI?
PKIs enable secure communication and transactions online, especially in situations where simple passwords aren't enough.
How does a PKI work with public keys?
How does a PKI work with public keys?
A PKI binds public keys to verified identities. It acts as a registry for verifying ownership of public keys.
What is a Certificate Authority (CA)?
What is a Certificate Authority (CA)?
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What is a Registration Authority (RA)?
What is a Registration Authority (RA)?
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What is a Validation Authority (VA)?
What is a Validation Authority (VA)?
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Why is a CA trusted?
Why is a CA trusted?
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How are certificates issued for web servers?
How are certificates issued for web servers?
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Certificate Requestor
Certificate Requestor
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Certificate Server Validation
Certificate Server Validation
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Let's Encrypt Challenges
Let's Encrypt Challenges
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HTTP-01 Challenge
HTTP-01 Challenge
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DNS-01 Challenge
DNS-01 Challenge
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Validation Authority (VA)
Validation Authority (VA)
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Web of Trust
Web of Trust
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Trust in a Web of Trust
Trust in a Web of Trust
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Study Notes
Public Key Infrastructures (PKI)
- PKI is a set of roles, policies, hardware, software, and procedures needed to create, manage, distribute, use, store, and revoke digital certificates and manage public-key encryption.
- The purpose of PKI is to facilitate secure electronic communication for electronic transactions (e.g., banking, shopping). It's essential when simple password authentication isn't sufficient.
- From a process perspective, PKI links public keys to identities. A public key must be registered within the PKI, proving the identity of the key's owner.
- Successful registration results in a certificate that verifies the public key's ownership.
PKI Components
- A PKI consists of several components:
- Certificate Authority (CA): Stores, issues, and signs digital certificates. The CA acts as a trusted third party. Both the owner and verifier of a certificate must trust the CA.
- Registration Authority (RA): Verifies the identity of individuals or organizations requesting a certificate. For personal certificates, the requester must be physically present and show identification (e.g., passport). For functional certificates, other identity verification methods are used. Verification of identity using Let's Encrypt involves specific challenges (HTTP-01 and DNS-01) to prove access to the server.
- Validation Authority (VA): Verifies the validity of issued certificates. The CA provides a list of revoked certificates to the validation authority. Crucially, the validation authority is publicly accessible.
Problems with a CA
- Relying on a single Certificate Authority (CA) as the root of trust has drawbacks:
- Every party must trust the CA.
- If the CA's root certificate is compromised, every other certificate issued by that CA must be revoked.
Alternative to a CA: Web of Trust
- Web of Trust is a decentralized trust model.
- Basic idea: Alice signs Bob's public key; if Carol trusts Alice, she also trusts Bob's public key.
- Alice needs a trustworthy method for verifying Bob's public key.
- Trust can be direct or indirect, potentially involving multiple individuals or entities.
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Description
Test your knowledge on Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and its components. This quiz covers the roles, policies, and procedures that ensure secure communication for electronic transactions. Understand the significant elements like Certificate Authorities and Registration Authorities within a PKI system.
