One Type of Root Certificate Is a Generic Public Key

A root certificate can be unsigned and used as a generic public key. These types of certificates are commonly installed along with your operating system. They are used when you send data to trusted sources, such as your computer manufacturer, or operating system developer. The certificates are used to encrypt your personal data before it is transmitted.

Another Type of Root Certificate Is a Signed Certificate

The other type of root certificate you can use is a signed certificate. A signed certificate can refer to a digital certificate signed by the issuer, or to a digital certificate being used for a digital signature. The information contained in either type of signed certificate will be authenticated against a certificate authority system. For example, authentication can occur when attempting to access secure data on a network. The certificate authority must first authenticate the user, based on the information in the certificate. Once authenticated, access is then granted to the secure location.