PKI Fundamentals
  • What is Public Key  Infrastructure?
  • Components of a PKI
  • What is a Digital Certificate?
  • What is Encryption?
  • General Operation
  • Digital Signature
    • Bob creates a message.
    • Bob selects the message to be digitally signed in the email client he is using.
    • A hash function is enacted, creating a message digest from the message. The message digest is then encrypted by Bob s private key. Thus the Digital Signature is created. NOTE: Bob s public key is sent with the message and is part of the PKI Fundamentals.
    • The message is then sent to Stephanie.
    • Stephanie s hash function creates a message digest from the message. Stephanie s message digest is checked against Bob s message digest, which is stored in Bob s public key.
    • Since both message digests match, Stephanie knows that the message has not been altered and that Bob is the true originator of the message.