What is the purpose of a digital certificate?

• A. To encrypt data transmitted over the internet
• B. To verify the ownership of a public key
• C. To improve server response times
• D. To store user credentials securely

Answer: (B)

A digital certificate serves the purpose of verifying the ownership of a public key. It is a crucial component of public key infrastructure (PKI) and plays a significant role in establishing trust on the internet. When a user or system receives a digital certificate, it can ascertain that the public key contained within the certificate belongs to the individual, organization, or entity it claims to represent. This verification is typically done through a trusted third party known as a Certificate Authority (CA), which issues the certificate after confirming the identity of the requester.

By ensuring that a public key indeed belongs to its claimed owner, digital certificates facilitate secure communications over networks, allowing for encryption and authentication processes. This is imperative for activities such as secure web browsing (HTTPS), email encryption, and digital signatures, ensuring that data sent over the internet remains confidential and that the identities of the communicating parties are trustworthy.

While encrypting data, improving server response times, and securely storing user credentials are important aspects of cybersecurity, they do not represent the primary purpose of a digital certificate, which is fundamentally about public key verification and establishing trust.