Public Key Infrastructure

What is public key infrastructure?

Public key infrastructure (PKI) is the architecture that manages how public key encryption protocols are designed.

This architecture consists of distinct roles, policies, procedures, hardware, software, and entities—namely clients and servers. It determines how digital certificates are generally created, shared, stored, used, revoked, and managed.

Benefits of using public key infrastructure

The benefits of using PKI are listed below:

• Data security: PKI increases network security through asymmetrical cryptography, wherein outside parties encrypt the information with a publicly available cryptography key, and insiders decrypt that data with a privately available key.
• Identity verification: Through the use of various types of certificates, PKI authenticates the identities of users and devices. Doing so ensures that organizations only accept data transmitted from authorized users or devices while preventing malicious actors from accessing that organization’s networks and systems.
• Trust building: As a concept, PKI builds trust. It ensures the integrity of transmitted data and authenticates external identities, maintaining a sense of trust in client-server data interactions. It also keeps bad actors from penetrating proprietary networks and systems.

Basic elements of public key infrastructure

Public key infrastructure will include the following elements:

• Cryptographic keys: PKI relies on a pair of cryptographic keys: a public key and a private key. A public key is shared openly and is used for encryption and verification. A private key is a secret key known only to the owner and used for decryption and signing the data transmitted to them.
• Certificate authorities: Certificate authorities are trusted third parties that generate digital certificates, such as SSL and TLS certificates. These certificates validate the identities of servers and clients by:
   
  •  Matching the public key contained in a digital certificate
  •  Associating that public key with the identity of the certificate's owner
• Digital certificates: The certificates themselves are digital documents that bind public keys to the key owner's identity. They are issued by certificate authorities and are used to verify the authenticity of a public key.

Public key infrastructure best practices

Certain best practices must be followed in order to make public key infrastructure work.

• Secure key generation and storage: Use strong cryptographic algorithms for key generation and storage. Keeping your organization’s private key safeguarded ensures that if malicious actors steal data during its transmission, it cannot be decrypted.
• Periodic key rotation: Implement a key rotation policy to periodically update cryptographic keys. Key lengths should be regularly reviewed and updated, and key lengths and algorithms should be aligned with security standards.
• Role-based access control: Implement role-based access control to restrict access to PKI components and functions based on job responsibilities. Limit the number of individuals with administrative privileges to prevent confusion, inefficiency, and chaos. Doing so further ensures that processes are streamlined, the organization is efficient, and sensitive information remains confidential.

Public key infrastructure vs. public key cryptography

Though closely related, public key infrastructure and public key cryptography are different.

• Public key infrastructure: PKI refers to an entire process of implementing policies, rules, procedures, and an overall plan of how to manage, store, and maintain secure data transmission practices. PKI does not refer to public key cryptography itself, though public key cryptography is a crucial component of PKI’s architecture.
• Public key cryptography: Public key cryptography refers to the specific process of encrypting data using a recipient’s public key, and the recipient then decrypting that data with their private key. This form of cryptography is also known as “asymmetric cryptography.”

Mastering public key infrastructure? Take the next stride in cybersecurity excellence and explore these cybersecurity certifications to gain a competitive edge and enhance your skills.