The digital age has brought with it a significant transformation in the way we live, work and connect with each other. However, with this increasing digitization, new challenges have arisen regarding the security and privacy of personal and business data. For information to circulate securely and be authentic, digital certificates play a vital role.
Concept
Digital certificates are electronic files used to prove the identity of people, companies, servers and devices on the internet. They are issued by trusted Certificate Authorities (CA) and follow an encryption standard to ensure the authenticity and security of information transmitted online.
How digital certificates work
These certificates are used to establish trust between two parties to an electronic communication, such as a client and a server, ensuring that the information exchanged is secure and private.
The following is a basic explanation of how digital certificates work:
Cryptographic Key: A digital certificate is composed of a pair of cryptographic keys - a public key and a private key. They are mathematically related, but it is practically impossible to deduce the private key from the public key.
Certificate Request: The first step in obtaining a digital certificate is to create a Certificate Signing Request (CSR). In that request, the entity (person, company, or server) provides identifying information and the associated public key.
Certificate Authority Signing: The certificate request is sent to a trusted Certificate Authority (CA). The CA is an entity responsible for verifying the identity of the requestor and issuing the digital certificate. The CA signs the request with its own private key, thus generating the digital certificate.
Issuance of the Certificate: After verifying the identity of the requester and the validity of the request, the CA issues the digital certificate. This certificate contains information such as the name of the holder, the public key, the date of issue and the expiration date of the certificate.
Certificate Verification: When a client (such as a web browser) connects to an SSL/TLS protected server, the server sends the digital certificate to the client during the handshake process of the secure connection. The client, in turn, verifies the authenticity of the certificate.
Chain of Trust: The client uses a chain of trust to verify whether the certificate presented by the server is valid. This chain of trust consists of a hierarchy of digital certificates, where the root certificates (Root CA) are issued by highly trusted entities and are used to sign intermediate certificates, which in turn are used to sign requestor certificates.
Encryption and Secure Communication: If the client trusts the certificate presented by the server, it can proceed with secure communication. From that moment on, data encryption is established using the public and private keys of the digital certificate, thus protecting the information during transmission.
Renewal and Revocation: Digital certificates have a limited validity period. After they expire, you need to renew them. Also, if the private key associated with the certificate is compromised or is no longer secure, the certificate can be revoked before its expiration date.
Digital certificates work as a secure way to guarantee the identity of online entities, such as websites, servers and people, and allow the creation of reliable and protected communications and transactions on the internet.
Some examples of certificates
Below are examples of digital certificates and their respective applications:
SSL/TLS Certificate: Used to guarantee the security of connections between a browser (client) and a web server. It encrypts transmitted data, protecting it from interception by malicious third parties.
Digital Certificate of Individuals (e-CPF): Issued to individuals, the e-CPF is used for digital identification in government services and electronic transactions with security and authenticity.
Legal Entity Digital Certificate (e-CNPJ): Similar to the e-CPF, but intended for companies. The e-CNPJ is used to sign electronic documents on behalf of the legal entity and carry out transactions with legal validity.
Digital Certificate of Electronic Invoice (e-NFe): Necessary for companies that issue electronic invoices, ensuring the veracity and integrity of tax documents.
Digital Course Completion Certificate: Used in educational institutions to validate completion of online courses or study programs.
Software Authenticity Certificate: It guarantees the authenticity and legitimate origin of a software, protecting it against counterfeiting.
The above list only covers some of the many types of digital certificates available, and applications may vary depending on the context and legislation of each country..
The Importance of Digital Certificates
Below are some of the main reasons why digital certificates are important:
Secure access: Used in two-factor authentication and multi-factor authentication, they will grant an additional level of security in accessing systems, applications and confidential information.
Digital signature of documents: In corporate environments, they are used to digitally sign documents, contracts and transactions, which simplifies processes, saves time and reduces the use of paper.
Digital signatures: Applied in the creation of digital signatures, they have the same legal validity as handwritten signatures. Digital signatures make it possible to verify the veracity of the author of a document or message and ensure that the content has not been altered after the signature.
Authentication: Used to certify the identity of people, organizations and devices on the internet as legitimate. They offer a safe way for the identity of a website, for example, to be analyzed, which is fundamental in combating phishing attacks and thus, users are actually communicating with the desired entity.
Regulatory compliance: In many industries, the use of digital certificates is required by regulations and security standards to ensure data protection and user privacy.
Encryption: With certificates, secure connections are established through encryption. When a website with an SSL/TLS (Secure Socket Layer/Transport Layer Security) certificate is accessed, the information is encrypted during transmission, making it unintelligible to anyone who intercepts the data in an unauthorized manner.
E-commerce: In e-commerce, they are crucial in protecting customers' private information, which includes bank card numbers, during the online shopping process. In this way, consumers' confidence in making transactions over the Internet will increase.
Data Integrity: Helps with the integrity of data in transit. Allow recipients to verify that received data has not been modified or corrupted during transmission.
In conclusion, it is clear that digital certificates play a key role in modern society, facilitating the security and authenticity of online transactions and communications. With the increasing digitization of processes and the wide adoption of technologies, digital certificates enable data integrity, confidentiality of information and accurate identification of the parties involved.
In addition, they boost users' confidence in the use of digital services, promoting a safer and more conducive environment for the sustainable development of the digital economy. Given this, it is undeniable that the implementation and dissemination of digital certificates contribute to building a society that is more connected, efficient and protected against cyber threats.