What is the role of a certificate authority (CA)?

The role of a certificate authority (CA) is fundamentally about identity verification in digital communications. By issuing digital certificates, a CA confirms the ownership of public keys by the entities that hold them. This process establishes trust in electronic communications, allowing users to verify identities and ensuring that the data they exchange is secure.

Digital certificates contain important information, such as the public key associated with an entity, information about the entity, and the CA's digital signature. When a certificate is issued, it serves as a means to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks and ensures that users can communicate securely using encryption.

While the other roles mentioned—creating encryption algorithms, managing network traffic, and decrypting sensitive information—are significant in the broader context of cybersecurity, they do not align with the primary function of a CA. Certificate authorities focus specifically on managing the trust framework that enables secure internet interactions.