Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)

PKI

A system of hardware, software, policies, and procedures needed to create, manage, distribute, use, store, and revoke digital certificates and public‑key pairs.

#crypto#nist#rfc#x509

Last updated: 2025-08-22T00:00:00.000Z

Differences across sources

Parallel sources use distinct terminology or emphasize different aspects. Review each citation to understand scope and normative intent.

Evidence

NIST NIST SP 800-57 Part 1 Rev. 5 (2020-05) Normative evidence

An infrastructure that supports the management of public keys for cryptography.

csrc.nist.gov
RFC RFC 5280 (Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate and CRL Profile) (2008-05) Normative evidence

Specifies the profile for X.509 public key certificates and CRLs for use in the Internet.

www.rfc-editor.org

Mappings

CISSP Domain 3

Examples

Enterprise TLS Certificates

Organization‑wide issuance and renewal of server certificates via an internal CA or ACME‑integrated external CA.

More context

PKI binds public keys to identities via certificates signed by trusted Certificate Authorities (CAs). Certificate status is managed via CRLs or OCSP; modern automation often uses ACME.

Often confused with

See also