See Also   Introduction   Encryption   SSL   SET   Smart Cards   Links   FAQ

One method of doing this is to use a trusted third party or certificate authority (CA). Owners of public keys submit them to a CA along with proof of identity and the CA then digitally signs and issues a certificate which verifies that the public key attached to the certificate belongs to the party stated.

Digital certificates provide the basis for secure electronic transactions as they enable all participants in a transaction to quickly and easily verify the identity of the other participants.