Business Scenario: Traditional face-to-face transaction requires only minimal interaction and normally does not necessitate the use of other security and integrity mechanisms. However, for e-commerce on the Internet, additional security and integrity mechanisms become necessary. Merchants are typically not willing to ship goods or perform services until a payment has been accepted for them. In addition, authentication can allow for a measure of non-repudiation so the customer cannot deny the transaction occurred. Similarly, consumers need assurance that they are purchasing from a legitimate enterprise, rather than a hacker’s site whose sole purpose is to collect credit card numbers.
With the changes in today's business environments and the shift from the traditional face-to-face business models, mechanisms must be developed to ensure that trusted relationships are maintained and can flourish.
The implementation of a PKI is intended to provide mechanisms to ensure trusted relationships are established and maintained. The specific security functions in which a PKI can provide foundation are confidentiality, integrity, non-repudiation, and authentication.
Solution: Public key cryptography supports security mechanisms such as confidentiality, integrity, authentication, and non-repudiation. However, to successfully implement these security mechanisms, you must carefully plan an infrastructure to manage them. A public key infrastructure (PKI) is a foundation on which other applications, system, and network security components are built. A PKI is an essential component of an overall security strategy that must work in concert with other security mechanisms, business practices, and risk management efforts. |
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