Remember CA
Full name: Certificate Authority
Memory aid: Certificate Authority signs the identity card.
A trusted CA does not guarantee safe behavior by the certificate holder.
Study area: Cryptography & trust · Batch 3
Relevant study for: CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 · ISC2 CISSP 2024 outline · ISC2 SSCP · CompTIA SecurityX · Cybersecurity Architect SC-100 · ISC2 CCSP · Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals SC-900
Practice with exam flashcards →Cybersecurity & Identity / Knowledge library
CA — Certificate Authority
Issues and signs digital certificates under a policy.
Why learn CA — Certificate Authority?
Issues and signs digital certificates under a policy.
Where it came from
A trusted CA does not guarantee safe behavior by the certificate holder.
- Memory aid (a learning cue, not the expansion): Certificate Authority signs the identity card.
Build your understanding
Work through these exercises in order. Try the task before opening a reference.
- Without looking, expand CA: Certificate Authority.
- Recall this memory aid: Certificate Authority signs the identity card.
- Explain the practical use: Issues and signs digital certificates under a policy.
- Explain this distinction: A trusted CA does not guarantee safe behavior by the certificate holder.
- Identify CA in a device specification, architecture diagram, or system inventory.
Documentation and sources
- NIST cybersecurity glossary (csrc.nist.gov)