Root Certificate

Root certificate - In a public key and certificate system, this is the certificate that identifies a trusted authority from which other trusted relationships are derived.   In PKI theory, the ability to trust an identity is based upon the trust you have in the organization (authority) that vouches for the identity.   You might accept a person's identity if your government has issued it, or a company's if the national company registration authority issues it.   At the time of writing, nation states have not taken the step of issuing PKI identities, preferring to allow the commercial market to develop the infrastructure.   As a result, root certificates contained in web browsers and ArticSoft keystores are currently those of commercial companies that are recognized in their own markets as competent to make statements about the certificates that they issue. That may not be the case in all countries in the future.

[Category=Geospatial ]

Artic Soft, 08 August 2011 08:21:55, http://www.articsoft.com/it_security.htm