Microsoft® Exchange Server 2003 Unleashed

Using Public Key Infrastructure with Exchange Server 2003

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), in a nutshell, is an extensible infrastructure used to provide certificate-based services. It is a conglomeration of digital certificates, registration authorities, and Certificate Authorities that can be used to provide authentication, authorization, non-repudiation, confidentiality, and verification. A Certificate Authority (CA) is a digital signature of the certificate issuer.

PKI implementations are widespread and are becoming more of a critical component of modern networks. Windows Server 2003 fully supports the deployment of various PKI configurations. PKI deployments can range from simple to complex, as illustrated in Figures 13.1 and 13.2, with ...