What is registration authority

Registration Authorities adds additional level of control and management to create a controlled and secure environment. A certificate authority or certification authority CA is an entity that issues digital certificates. A digital certificate certifies the ownership of a public key by the named subject of the certificate.

This allows others relying parties to rely upon signatures or on assertions made about the private key that corresponds to the certified public key. A CA acts as a trusted third-party — trusted both by the subject owner of the certificate and by the party relying upon the certificate. The format of these certificates is specified by the X. A CA issues digital certificates that contain a public key and the identity of the owner.

The matching private key is not made available publicly but kept secret by the end-user who generated the key pair. The certificate is also a confirmation or validation by the CA that the public key contained in the certificate belongs to the person, organization, server or other entity noted in the certificate. Such certificates could be also used to apply electronic signatures. An e-signature can bear the same legal value as a handwritten signature when relying on a qualified electronic certificate.

The identification process requires many resources in terms of headcount and time , so it is more judicious for CAs to develop partnerships with RAs. On the other hand, by managing the identification process by their own means, the RAs have the opportunity to enter in contact and start relationships with future possible clients. The RA staff also controls that the personal data that will appear on the digital certificate matches the data of the ID document.

The RA proceeds to the requested changes of certificate status. This guarantees a complete audit-trail of all documents , data and checks, in case of legal disputes.