Certificate Authorities (CAs) are trusted organizations that issue digital certificates to verify the authenticity and secure online communications. They play a crucial role in ensuring security on the Internet.
When you visit a secure website (with the prefix “https://”), your browser checks the site’s digital certificate issued by a certificate authority. This certificate confirms that the website is who it claims to be and that the connection is encrypted and protected.
Certificate authorities verify the identity and legitimacy of organizations requesting certificates to prevent fraud. They act as trusted intermediaries, ensuring that certificates are only issued to verified parties.
Some well-known certificate authorities include Symantec, Comodo, DigiCert, and GoDaddy. Web browsers and operating systems have a built-in list of trusted root certificate authorities to validate the authenticity of certificates.
