What is the primary role of a Certificate Authority (CA)?

The primary role of a Certificate Authority (CA) is to manage the issuance and revocation of digital certificates. A CA is a trusted entity that issues digital certificates, which are essential for establishing secure communications over networks, such as the internet. These certificates help verify the authenticity of users, devices, or services by providing them with a form of identity that can be trusted.

In addition to issuing certificates, CAs also maintain a list of revoked certificates, ensuring that any certificate that is no longer valid is properly managed and monitored. This process is critical because if a certificate is compromised, the CA must ensure it cannot be used to undermine the security of the systems relying on it. The effective management of issuing and revoking certificates helps maintain the integrity and trustworthiness of security frameworks that rely on public key infrastructures (PKI).

The role of the CA is distinct from simply creating certificates for user accounts or retrieving revoked certificates, as these activities fall under broader operational functions of PKI management, rather than the core responsibilities of a CA. Storing user data securely is also outside the direct responsibilities of a CA, as their primary focus is on managing digital identities and ensuring the secure issuance and maintenance of certificates.