When you use digital certificates in your organization, there are all sorts of terms used. You may hear terms like certificate authority, digital signatures, X509, and root certificate. Each of these terms is related, in one way or another, to digital certificates. Each term serves a specific purpose or function in creating a digital certificate or how a digital certificate works. If you are the person responsible for creating digital certificates for your organization, you should take time to learn more about each of these terms and exactly what they do.
A Root Certificate Is Needed to Start the Certification Process
Contained within each digital certificate is a root certificate, which is added when the certificate was created with your certificate authority system. The easiest way to understand how the root works is to think about starting your car. The root is like the key that goes in your ignition. As long as the computer chip in your key matches, you are able to start your car. The root works the same way because it verifies the certificate authority and as long as it matches, it starts the digital certification process.