Trusted organisation that issues and manages digital certificates verifying identities.
A Certificate Authority (CA) is a trusted entity that issues digital certificates, verifying the identity of certificate requesters before issuance. Public CAs (DigiCert, Let's Encrypt, Sectigo) issue certificates trusted by browsers and operating systems. Private/internal CAs issue certificates for internal use. Browsers and systems maintain lists of trusted CAs; certificates from untrusted CAs generate security warnings. CA compromise is catastrophic—if a CA is breached, all its certificates become untrustworthy.
Why It Matters
The DSC Perspective:
CA trust underpins internet security. Use reputable CAs for public certificates. For internal certificates, manage your internal CA securely. Let's Encrypt provides free certificates, removing cost barriers to HTTPS.