Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)

A set of services that uses a public and private cryptographic key pair to allow users on an unsecured network to securely exchange data. Typically, this is composed of a certificate authority, which verifies users’ identities; a registration authority, approved by the certificate authority to issue certificates for specific uses; a certificate database, which stores requests and issues and revokes certificates; and a certificate store, which houses issued certificates and private keys.