A digital certificate is an electronic document or file that proves the authenticity of a user, device, server, or website using cryptography and public key infrastructure (PKI). It acts like a digital ID card, binding a public key to the identity of its owner and allowing secure, trusted communication over networks such as the internet.
Digital certificates verify the identity of the certificate holder (such as a website, user, or device) to others, ensuring that the entity is genuine and trustworthy. They enable secure, encrypted communication by providing a public key that can be used to encrypt data, which only the holder of the corresponding private key can decrypt. Certificates are digitally signed by a Certificate Authority (CA), a trusted third party that validates the information and vouches for the certificate’s authenticity.