What is a Certificate Authority?

A Certificate Authority can be an issuer of Security Certificates used in SSL connections, as well as a trusted third-party organization that can verify the identity and origin of a person or organization.  These institutions issue digital certificates directly to end-users or to other certificate authorities allowing them to also issue digital certificates.  A Certificate Authority, such as Thawte or VeriSign, vouches for the identity and the authority of an individual or business to conduct transactions over the Internet.

Electronic Merchant Systems Payment Processing Glossary :

Defining key payment processing and merchant services industry terms to help business owners make better decisions.

 

 

 

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