I have a question about HTTPS and the role of Certificate Authorities (CAs). I know that HTTPS encrypts the traffic between the client and the server, but I'm confused about why we need a CA to verify the trustworthiness of that encryption. If I'm giving my data to a server, I either trust the server or I don't. If I trust it, I assume they wouldn't lie about the encryption. If I don't trust them, why would I give my data at all? So what's the point of having a CA involved? It seems unnecessary, especially since with PGP, we confirm public keys without a third party. Can someone clarify this for me?
4 Answers
Think of a CA like a friend vouching for someone at a party. If a random person says they're hosting a party and invites you, you might hesitate. But if you know someone who knows them and can verify their identity, you feel more secure going. That’s what CAs do for websites.
Basically, the certificate's purpose is twofold: it encrypts the data and confirms the site's identity. Anyone can create a self-signed certificate, but that doesn't guarantee the trustworthiness of the site. A signature from a trusted CA means you can rely on it being valid.
Without certificates, anyone could impersonate a server. Let's say you're connecting to a website; without a CA, you're just trusting that the server you're connecting to is who it says it is. Certificates help prove the authenticity of the server to prevent potential attacks.
You're right that encryption can happen independently of a third party, but the main role of a Certificate Authority is to verify that the server you're communicating with is genuine. Without a trusted CA, you could end up sending your data to an attacker who is impersonating a legitimate site, like in man-in-the-middle attacks.
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