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).
References
Lawton, S. (2015). Introduction To Public Key
Infrastructure (PKI). Retrieved from
http://www.tomsitpro.com/articles/public-key-infrastructure-introduction,2-884.html
Public Key
Infrastructure. (2017). Retrieved
from https://www.techopedia.com/definition/4071/public-key-infrastructure-pki
Rouse, M. (2017). PKI (public
key infrastructure). Retrieved from
http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/PKI
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