public key infrastructure (PKI)

A cryptographic key and certificate delivery system which makes possible secure financial electronic transactions and exchanges of sensitive information between relative strangers. PKI systems involve the transfer of digital identity certificates between parties, and rely on Certificate Authorities and other registration authorities to verify and authenticate the validity of each party involved in the transaction. An enterprise level verification system is a network security requirement for businesses involved in ecommerce operations.


Selected public key infrastructure (PKI) links:

Related terms: network security, SSL certificates, network monitoring, authentication
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