The public key infrastructure allows securing the transferring of the information. This approach can be implemented in the internet banking, private emails, and other spheres where the security should receive the priority. The easy passwords are not difficult to break, and that is when some additional proof is needed the system of the public keys is commonly used. The primary purpose of the paper is to evaluate the significance of implementation of the public key infrastructure in the working process and discuss strength and weaknesses of the system.
To get better involved in the issue, the question regarding the fundamentals of public key infrastructure should be taken into account. As the matter of fact, the PKI makes the distribution of the encryption keys possible and allows the user to exchange data over the Internet privately. The PKI usually consists of the following essential elements, namely hard and software, policies, and digital certificates. Certificate Authority (CA) provides the entities with trust. The PKI has the chain system and consequently if one element is weak, the whole system suffers and can get affected. The main problem is there is no standard that is prior and dominant for all the policies. CA is believed to be a “trusted third party”, however, it should be stressed that the problems with the security put the whole system of the PKI in the risk zone as a number of fake certificates has been discovered recently (Davies, 2011).
A digital certificate is considered to be the form of document that identifies the personality. The certification authority (CA) provides the needed information regarding the entity. The information stays actual for the certain time. Digital certificates are significant while they support the PKI (Karamanian, Tenneti, & Dessart, 2011). As the matter of fact, the digital certificate can be compared to the passport, and it gives an opportunity to the person to send and get the information privately and secure. Digital certificates provide the trusted and secured exchange of the files. The certificate should have a variety of characteristics for the recipient to be sure that it is real. Among such characteristics are the following, namely name, serial number, digital signature, and expiration date. The implementation of the PKI will improve the overall work of the organization making it safe and secure. The clients will be confident that their private information will not be used in any criminal cases.
The definition of the PKI is multi-faced as it encompasses numerous tasks at one. The PKI is used for the fulfilment of two tasks. The first one is to secure the information and the second is to support the authentication process and check the content. The systems provide a number of benefits. First and foremost, the information that is sent and received will be proofed. One of the most valued advantages is that the files will be secured and sent in time. Moreover, it can be used as the evidence in the court.
Originally, it was created to provide the ability to exchange the information privately in an unsecured environment, such as the Internet. To increase effectiveness and be able to compete in the market, companies should use technologies creatively; it results in the improvement of management. Signature software products are very important as they prove that the document is original and can be used in the court as evidence. The development of the signature software will provide the clients with the safety and ensure that the files are original.
Having the internal CA provides the company with a number of benefits; among them is the independence from the external CA and more easy and flexible organizational management. This type can be easily integrated into the active directory. In addition, it is not very costly. The disadvantage is that it is more difficult to implement than the external CA. One of the benefits of using the external CA is that they “are responsible for the PKI and external CA trust other external CAs digital certificates” (Ristic, 2014). Moreover, the system does not require lots of overhead in contrast to the internal CA. However, it is costly to pay for every certificate using the external type. The external system is less flexible and has not so developed infrastructure as the internal one. The organization is likely to implement the internal CAs to decrease spending on different certificates in the case a lot of them are needed.
In conclusion, it should be pointed out that implementation of the PKI and the internal certificates seems to be an essential part of the success of the company. The modern world offers society the extensive usage of the informational technologies; however, the issue regarding safety and security remains the most urgent and discussed. Having an opportunity to exchange the information safely in the unsafe environment of the Internet will provide the users with a higher degree of trust, respect, and assurance. Despite certain disadvantages, the system of PKI is significant for implementation especially in the software company, where confidentiality and security seem to be fundamental aspects for the success.
Works Cited
Davies, J. (2011). Implementing SSL/TLS using cryptography and PKI. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Karamanian, A., Tenneti, S., & Dessart, F. (2011). PKI uncovered: Certificate-based security solutions for next-generation networks. Indianapolis, IN: Cisco Press.
Ristic, I. (2014). Bulletproof SSL and TLS: Understanding and Deploying SSL/TLS and PKI to Secure Servers and Web Applications. London, U. K.: Feisty Duck.