// THREAT DETECTION AND DATA PRIVACY TERM
Certificate Authority
A Certificate Authority (CA) is a trusted organization or entity that issues digital certificates, which are like digital passports. These certificates verify the identity of websites, servers, or users to ensure secure communication over the internet.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
A Certificate Authority (CA) is a core component within a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), serving as a trusted third party responsible for issuing, signing, and managing digital certificates that bind public keys to entities, thereby enabling secure communication protocols like SSL/TLS and establishing trust in digital identities.
BACKGROUND
WidePoint Corporation is an American company based in Fairfax, Virginia that provides technology-based products and services to the government sector and commercial markets in the United States. The company holds a patent for a digital parsing tool that allows users to access accounts through a secure repository gateway, established using asymmetric authentication employed as public key infrastructure (PKI). WidePoint provides smart card identity verification, wireless expense management, penetration testing and other IT devices and services. WidePoint's subsidiary ORC is an authorized certification authority (CA) for the Department of Defense and other government agencies.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- CA
- Root CA
- Intermediate CA
- Trust Anchor
- Certification Authority
USAGE NOTE
CAs are fundamental to internet security, forming the backbone of trust for encrypted web traffic, secure data exchange, and digital signatures across various systems.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Certificate Authority.
A leading global provider of digital certificates, offering SSL/TLS, code signing, and device certificates for securing enterprise communications, data, and IoT devices.
One of the largest commercial Certificate Authorities globally, providing a wide range of digital identity solutions, including SSL/TLS certificates, enterprise PKI, and IoT security.
Offers a comprehensive portfolio of digital security solutions, including Certificate Authorities, identity and access management, data encryption, and payment security.
A well-established Certificate Authority providing trusted identity and security solutions for enterprises, cloud, and IoT, including SSL/TLS, managed PKI, and digital signing.
A non-profit Certificate Authority providing free SSL/TLS certificates, playing a crucial role in increasing the adoption of HTTPS across the web for enhanced security.
A major Certificate Authority that issues digital certificates for secure online transactions, including SSL/TLS, and also acts as a cross-certifying CA for various government and financial institutions.
Provides AWS Certificate Manager (ACM), a service that lets you easily provision, manage, and deploy public and private SSL/TLS certificates for use with AWS services and internal resources.
Through Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS), Microsoft provides tools to create and manage an internal Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), enabling organizations to issue and manage digital certificates for various security purposes.