A digital certificate is an electronic document that binds a public key to an identity (person, organization, or device). It's like a digital passport that proves authenticity.
Key information in a certificate:
Subject: Who the certificate belongs to (domain name, organization)
Public Key: Used for encryption and signature verification
Issuer: The Certificate Authority that issued the certificate
Validity Period: Start and expiration dates
Serial Number: Unique identifier
Signature: Digital signature from the issuing CA
Extensions: Additional information (key usage, subject alternative names)
Example: A certificate for google.com proves that the public key belongs to Google, allowing secure communication.
Rewriting in plainer words…
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