Understanding Public-Key Infrastructure: Concepts, Standards, and Deployment Considerations

Key/Certificate Life Cycle Management

The various phases of the key/certificate life cycle management are illustrated in Figure 7.1. These phases are discussed further in the following sections.

Note

As mentioned in Chapter 3, "The Concept of an Infrastructure," not all environments will necessarily require each and every facet of the key/certificate life cycle management as discussed within this chapter. Further, some environments may require certain aspects that are not required in others. To meet these varying demands, a comprehensive PKI must offer each of the services described in this chapter.

Note

A similar term, key management or key exchange, is often used to denote the method in which encryption/decryption keys are securely ...