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Key PKI benefits

Public key infrastructure (PKI) enables the creation of a trusted environment for businesses wishing to conduct trade through an Internet solution.

Specifically, a digital certificate and the infrastructure under which the digital certificate is issued provide the information and structure needed to:

  • minimise fraud by authenticating the identity of people via the Internet
  • provide privacy of messages by minimising the risk that they can be read in transit, or by anyone, other than the intended recipient
  • assure the integrity of electronic communications by minimising the risk of them being altered or tampered with in transit without the recipient being aware
  • provide non-repudiation of transactions so that people cannot deny involvement in a valid electronic transaction.

One of the main challenges to conducting business via the Internet today is knowing who you are dealing with.

Public key infrastructure (PKI) provides the ability to identify trading partners online through trusted bodies who are responsible for issuing digital certificates and providing mechanisms for identifying individuals holding those digital certificates on behalf of a business.

Find out more about digital certificates

Do you know if unauthorised parties have ever accessed messages or transactions that you have sent over the Internet?

Does only the intended recipient have the ability to read your message?

Digital certificates provide the mechanism to protect information. Messages can be encrypted to minimise the risk that they can be read in transit, or by anyone, other than the intended recipient. This provides the digital equivalent of a registered letter sent through the post.

Public key infrastructure (PKI) can be used to increase the privacy of messages.

When transacting over the Internet, a business needs to have some assurance that any transaction performed or information provided during the course of business is unlikely to be altered or tampered with during transmission.

The public key infrastructure (PKI) provides, as a key element, for security of transactions. PKI provides the recipient of a message with a mechanism to check if the message remains the same as it was when it was sent.

Find out how digital certificates work

Public key infrastructure (PKI) provides a mechanism for signing electronic transactions in a manner similar to placing a signature on a document.

A PKI provides for the creation of a unique signature. This coupled with appropriate policies and procedures creates an environment where the sender is unable to deny or repudiate a message sent in accordance with these procedures.

A PKI can be designed to ensure that no valid transaction can be repudiated.