Which PKI component is responsible for issuing and managing digital certificates?

Which PKI component is responsible for issuing and managing digital certificates?

• A. Digital Certificates
• B. Certificate Authority
• C. Private Keys
• D. Public Keys

Answer: (B)

In PKI, the component that issues and manages digital certificates is the Certificate Authority. The CA is the trusted entity that validates identities and then signs certificates to bind a subject’s identity to their public key. It also handles the certificate lifecycle—issuing new certificates, renewing them, and revoking those that are compromised—while publishing the current, valid certificates for verification. The digital certificates themselves are the records that bind a public key to an identity, whereas private keys and public keys are the cryptographic material used with those certificates.

In PKI, the component that issues and manages digital certificates is the Certificate Authority. The CA is the trusted entity that validates identities and then signs certificates to bind a subject’s identity to their public key. It also handles the certificate lifecycle—issuing new certificates, renewing them, and revoking those that are compromised—while publishing the current, valid certificates for verification. The digital certificates themselves are the records that bind a public key to an identity, whereas private keys and public keys are the cryptographic material used with those certificates.