Public Key Infrastructure
Companies such as eBay, Tmall, and Shopee would not exist if it were not for Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), digital certificates, and digital signatures. These tools allow individuals to shop online securely and allow clients to trust their vendors because of background checks completed by Certificate Authorities (CAs). CAs ensure trust by conducting background checks on the owner or top managers of the company, thereby “certifying” that the vendor can be trusted.
The following section will cover how encryption, hashing, and signing are implemented to support PKI as well as how the system protects online shoppers.
Encryption, Hashing, and Digital Signatures for PKI
In order to protect an online shopping session, the transaction must be protected from hackers, completed successfully, and from a verified vendor.
These are accomplished through asymmetric encryption, symmetric encryption, hashing, and digital signatures managed by a...