View Source: PublicKeyInfrastructure - Waikato Linux Users Group

Edit PageHistory Diff Info LikePages

The infrastruture required to verify that some user is who they say they are, either by [PGP]'s WebOfTrust or a centralized certification infrastructure provided by a CertificationAuthority (or several). Also known as a [PKI].

There are many parts to the infrastruture:
* interoperability standards ([X509], [OpenPGP], [LDAP], etc.) so that different products can work together
* software (for KeyServer~s, TimeStampServer~s, [RobotCA]s, crypto-aware MailClient~s such as [Mutt], [PINE], EnigMail etc.)
* the servers running the software
* actual content created and exchanged by users and servers (the PublicKey~s and the WebOfTrust's signatures)
* social structure to support the software and content ([KeySigningParties|KeySigningParty], etc.), which is very often symbiotic with other social structures, often including  [LUG]s.

The security of the PublicKeyInfrastructure is not uniform and for many of the players issues such as ease of use, price and reliability are much more important.

----
CategoryCryptography

7 pages link to PublicKeyInfrastructure:

Last edited on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 5:32:30 am by AristotlePagaltzis

Edit PageHistory Diff Info LikePages