What is a Certificate Chain?
WHAT IS A CERTIFICATE CHAIN?
An SSL certificate chain, as the name suggests, is the arrangement of certificates that are connected like a chain and arranged in a top-down logic. In order for a website to have a certificate, it must first obtain approval from a Certificate Authority (CA) that the security requirements are met. Otherwise, a warning message will be displayed, and the system may even be inaccessible.
The certificate chain is widely known in the technology world as SSL, which stands for Secure Socket Layer. It ensures the privacy of users and servers during internet usage and is considered an important technology for security. It also enables the encryption of information flow between the server and the client. The certificate chain is a protocol developed by Netscape.
The certificate chain operates based on certain principles, some of which can be summarized in a few points:
The user requests a secure connection from the server.
The server sends its certificate and public key to the client.
The internet browser verifies the authenticity of the received certificate.
Then, the server decrypts the message using its private key and obtains a symmetric key as a result.
The server now transmits data using this symmetric key.
After this entire process, the user decrypts the data received from the server using the symmetric key and views the web page.
Source: What is a Certificate Chain?
Certificate Chain Features
SSL, or the certificate chain, has unique features by its structure. It significantly contributes to secure data communication and makes the internet environment more secure. So, what are the features of the certificate chain?
The connection in the certificate chain is completely confidential.
It ensures security and privacy during data encoding and decryption.
It has the ability to verify the identities of all parties involved in communication.
One of its distinct features is that it simplifies the process of creating a document archive.
It verifies that the sender and recipient are correct entities.
Today, the most popular web browsers support the certificate chain, or the SSL protocol. Examples include Chrome, Safari, Explorer, and Opera. Additionally, the most widely used certificate chain is Comodo SSL.
