About Me
CompTIA Security+
1 Threats, Attacks, and Vulnerabilities
1-1 Types of Threats
1-2 Types of Attacks
1-3 Vulnerabilities
1-4 Threat Actors and Motives
1-5 Threat Intelligence
1-6 Incident Response
1-7 Penetration Testing
1-8 Vulnerability Scanning
1-9 Threat Modeling
1-10 Security Controls
2 Technologies and Tools
2-1 Firewalls
2-2 Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)
2-3 Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS)
2-4 Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
2-5 Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
2-6 Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR)
2-7 Endpoint Security
2-8 Network Security
2-9 Cloud Security
2-10 Mobile Device Security
2-11 Secure Coding Practices
2-12 Cryptography
2-13 Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
2-14 Certificate Management
2-15 Security Tools and Utilities
3 Architecture and Design
3-1 Security Models
3-2 Security Controls
3-3 Secure Network Design
3-4 Secure Systems Design
3-5 Secure Application Design
3-6 Secure Cloud Architecture
3-7 Secure Mobile Architecture
3-8 Secure IoT Architecture
3-9 Secure Data Storage
3-10 Secure Backup and Recovery
3-11 Security in DevOps
3-12 Security in Agile Development
3-13 Security in Continuous IntegrationContinuous Deployment (CICD)
3-14 Security in Configuration Management
3-15 Security in Identity and Access Management (IAM)
4 Identity and Access Management
4-1 Authentication Methods
4-2 Authorization Mechanisms
4-3 Identity and Access Management (IAM) Concepts
4-4 Single Sign-On (SSO)
4-5 Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
4-6 Federation
4-7 Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
4-8 Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)
4-9 Identity as a Service (IDaaS)
4-10 Identity Lifecycle Management
4-11 Access Reviews and Audits
4-12 Privileged Access Management (PAM)
4-13 Identity Federation
4-14 Identity Provisioning and Deprovisioning
5 Risk Management
5-1 Risk Management Concepts
5-2 Risk Assessment
5-3 Risk Mitigation Strategies
5-4 Business Impact Analysis (BIA)
5-5 Risk Register
5-6 Risk Treatment
5-7 Risk Monitoring and Reporting
5-8 Risk Appetite and Tolerance
5-9 Risk Communication
5-10 Risk Transfer
5-11 Risk Acceptance
5-12 Risk Avoidance
5-13 Risk Reduction
5-14 Risk in Cloud Environments
5-15 Risk in Mobile Environments
5-16 Risk in IoT Environments
6 Cryptography and PKI
6-1 Cryptographic Concepts
6-2 Symmetric Encryption
6-3 Asymmetric Encryption
6-4 Hashing
6-5 Digital Signatures
6-6 Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
6-7 Certificate Management
6-8 Certificate Authorities (CAs)
6-9 Certificate Revocation
6-10 Key Management
6-11 Cryptographic Protocols
6-12 Cryptographic Attacks
6-13 Quantum Cryptography
6-14 Post-Quantum Cryptography
6-15 Cryptographic Use Cases
7 Security Operations
7-1 Security Operations Concepts
7-2 Security Policies and Procedures
7-3 Security Awareness and Training
7-4 Security Monitoring and Logging
7-5 Incident Response
7-6 Forensics
7-7 Disaster Recovery
7-8 Business Continuity
7-9 Physical Security
7-10 Personnel Security
7-11 Supply Chain Security
7-12 Third-Party Risk Management
7-13 Security Audits and Assessments
7-14 Compliance and Regulatory Requirements
7-15 Security Metrics and Reporting
7-16 Security Operations Center (SOC)
7-17 Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR)
7-18 Security in DevOps
7-19 Security in Agile Development
7-20 Security in Continuous IntegrationContinuous Deployment (CICD)
6.6 Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Explained

6.6 Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Explained

Key Concepts

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a framework for managing digital certificates and public-key encryption. Key concepts include Digital Certificates, Certificate Authorities (CAs), Registration Authorities (RAs), and Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs).

Digital Certificates

Digital Certificates are electronic documents that bind a public key to an entity, such as a person, organization, or device. They are issued by Certificate Authorities (CAs) and contain information about the certificate holder, the public key, and the CA's digital signature.

Example: When you visit a secure website (HTTPS), your browser verifies the website's digital certificate to ensure it is legitimate. The certificate contains the website's public key, which is used to establish a secure connection.

Certificate Authorities (CAs)

Certificate Authorities (CAs) are trusted entities that issue and manage digital certificates. They verify the identity of the certificate holder before issuing a certificate and digitally sign the certificate to ensure its authenticity.

Example: Let's say you want to create a secure email account. You generate a public-private key pair and submit a certificate signing request (CSR) to a CA. The CA verifies your identity and issues a digital certificate that you can use to encrypt and sign your emails.

Registration Authorities (RAs)

Registration Authorities (RAs) are entities that assist in the certificate issuance process. They verify the identity of the certificate requester and forward the request to the CA for final approval and issuance.

Example: In a large organization, an RA might handle the initial verification of employees requesting digital certificates. The RA ensures that the requester is a legitimate employee before forwarding the request to the CA for certificate issuance.

Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs)

Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs) are lists of digital certificates that have been revoked before their expiration date. CRLs are maintained by CAs and are used to prevent the use of compromised or invalid certificates.

Example: If a digital certificate is compromised or the certificate holder's identity is no longer valid, the CA revokes the certificate and adds it to the CRL. When a user attempts to verify a certificate, their system checks the CRL to ensure the certificate has not been revoked.

Conclusion

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is essential for secure communication and data protection. By understanding Digital Certificates, Certificate Authorities (CAs), Registration Authorities (RAs), and Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs), you can ensure the authenticity, integrity, and confidentiality of your digital interactions.

© 2024 Ahmed Baheeg Khorshid. All rights reserved.