PUBLIC KEY INFRASTRUCTURE

Introduction

Public Key Infrastructure is systems of authentication as well as identification that is used in the process of distribution of information within a network. They are infrastructure developed for the purpose of management of digital certificates as well as a public key which are used for the safeguarding of information distribution within a network. Development of Public key infrastructure is based on the need for more security especially when simple passwords cannot secure data. There are many systems that operate by the movement of crucial information within networks, and they include; banking, electronic business and other factors that require great confidentiality. The use of public key infrastructure has been prominent for very many years. The management of a pair of cryptographic keys; one private and the other public has been successful in safeguarding distribution of information within networks. There is a great need for security of information, and Public key infrastructure provides adequate security by demanding authorization of a person trying to access data. For ultimate security and accountability of information within an organization assurance of the identity of the person trying to access information is very important (Public Key Infrastructure, 2017).

Technical requirements

 This infrastructure has many requirements that ensure that it is safe and effective in ensuring data is secured. One of the main requirement is the infrastructure itself in the form of hardware, software, standards as well as good policies that are associated with the creation, revocation, administration, and distribution of digital certificates and keys. The other requirements are the cryptographic keys. These are important keys used for the purpose of encryption and decryption of data. They occur in pair; one public and the other private. The other requirement is digital certificates which are documents that confirm the identity of the person trying to access data.

The success of a public key fracture is based on the availability of certain elements all of which have to be well developed and work together within a system the first element of the infrastructure is the Certificate authority which has to be a party that is trusted and is mandated with the provision of services associated with the authentication of the identities of computers people and other entities within a network. This is the authority that handles the process of binding cryptographic keys to the relevant identities. The second element of the infrastructure is the registration authority that is mandated with the handling of the request by people or other entities for digital certificates. It also authenticates their identities when they make the requests. This is an element that works with permission by the root which is the certificate authority. The third element is the certificate database, and this operates by storing all requests for certificates and also issues them or revokes them. The last element is the certificate store which is a store located in a localized computer and is mandated with the saving and storage of issued certificates. These are some of the important elements that are needed for the effective management of digital certificates and keys within organizations. For effective security, they have to be well developed and well established within the system in order to ensure that information distribution within the network is effective and safe from unauthorized access. The importance of security of information within an organization is protected by security compliance regulations that ensure that organizations have the necessary infrastructure and policies to safeguard the information it deals with (Rouse, 2017).

Proposed solution

The use of cryptographic keys is very important for the establishment of security. They occur in pairs where one is public, and the other one is private. The public key is usually made available to anyone wishing to encrypt data, but the private key is made available only to the owner who then can use it to decrypt the information. The assurance of security of data within an organization is based on the strengths of authentication of identity, how well keys are stored and protected and the policies and standards that govern the management of the keys as well as digital certificates. These plus the effective management of the elements of public key infrastructure ensures the safety and security of information distribution within a system.

Justification

The establishment of public key infrastructure is fundamental to the security of data within networks. The movement of information between different points through a network is common and very fundamental for many businesses. However, there is a lot of ease of intercepting this information, and there is a great need to secure it through authentication of the identity of the individuals trying to access such information. The use of cryptographic keys is important in safeguarding the process of access by limiting it to only those people that have access to the keys. However, this can only be made ultimately secure by the availability of data certificates that provide assurances of identity. The success of Public key infrastructure is based on the level of protection of the data certificates, keys and the elements of the system (Lawton, 2015).