Skip to main content

Digital Certificates

I know this may seem out of order, since I’ve mentioned the word “certificate” multiple times already, but it’s nearly impossible to discuss PKI without mentioning certificates, and vice versa. As you can probably tell so far, a digital certificate isn’t really involved with 
encryption at all. It is, instead, a measure by which entities on a network can provide identification. A digital certificate is an electronic file that is used to verify a user’s identity, providing non-repudiation throughout the system.The certificate itself, in the PKI framework, follows a standard used worldwide. The X.509 standard, a part of a much bigger series of standards set up for directory services and such, defines what should and should not be in a digital certificate. Because of the standard, any system complying with
X.509 can exchange and use digital certificates to establish authenticity.

The contents of a digital certificate are listed-:

  • Version -This identifies the certificate format. Over time, the actual format of the certificate has changed slightly, allowing for different entries. The most common version in use is 1.
  • Serial Number- Fairly self-explanatory, the serial number is used to uniquely identify the certificate itself.
  • Subject -Whoever or whatever is being identified by the certificate.
  • Algorithm ID -(or Signature Algorithm) Shows the algorithm that was used to create the digital signature.
  •  Issuer- Shows the entity that verifies the authenticity of the certificate. The issuer is the one who creates the certificates.
  • Valid From and Valid To -These fields show the dates the certificate is good through.
  • Key Usage- Shows for what purpose the certificate was created.
  • Subject’s Public Key -A copy of the subject’s public key is included in the digital certificate, for obvious purposes.
  • Optional fields -These fields include Issuer Unique Identifier, Subject Alternative Name, and Extensions

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

TCP/IP protocol

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol):- TCP (Transmission Control  Protocol ) is a standard that defines how to establish and maintain a network conversation via which  application programs  can exchange data. TCP works with the Internet Protocol ( IP ), which defines how computers send  packet s of  data  to each other. Together, TCP and IP are the basic rules defining the Internet. TCP is defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force ( IETF ) in the Request for Comment ( RFC ) standards document number 793. TCP is a connection-oriented protocol, which means a connection is established and maintained until the application programs at each end have finished exchanging messages. It determines how to break application data into packets that  networks  can deliver, sends packets to and accepts packets from the network layer, manages  flow contro l ,  and—because it is meant to provide error-free data transmi...

What is technical analysis?

 Technical Analysis (also abbreviated as TA) is a popular technique that allows you to do just that. It not only helps you develop a point of view on a particular stock or index but also helps you define the trade keeping in mind the entry, exit and risk perspective.  Like all research techniques, Technical Analysis also comes with its own attributes, some of which can be highly complex. However, technology makes it easy to understand. Technical Analysis is a research technique to identify trading opportunities in market based on the actions of market participants. The actions of market participants can be visualized by means of a stock chart. Over time, patterns are formed within these charts and each pattern conveys a certain message. The job of a technical analyst is to identify these patterns and develop a point of view. Like any research technique, technical analysis stands on a bunch of assumptions. As a practitioner of technical analysis, you need to trade the markets k...

connection oriented

connection-oriented:- connection-oriented  describes a means of transmitting data in which the devices at the end points use a preliminary  protocol  to establish an end-to-end connection before any data is sent. Connection-oriented protocol service is sometimes called a "reliable" network service, because it guarantees that data will arrive in the proper sequence. Transmission Control Protocol ( TCP ) is a connection-oriented protocol. For connection-oriented communications, each end point must be able to transmit so that it can communicate. The alternative to connection-oriented transmission is the  connection-less  approach, in which data is sent from one end point to another without prior arrangement. Connection-less protocols are usually described as  stateless  because the end points have no protocol-defined way to remember where they are in a "conversation" of message exchanges. Because they can keep track of a conversation, connection-or...

tag