Public key infrastructure
Rather than having competition in the provision of secure systems, there is a compelling argument for having a single standard protocol. The Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is one initiative that is designed to provide a generic solution to the issue of security. PKI is an e-commerce architecture that combines specialist authorities, digital certificate management systems, and directory facilities to create secure networks on top of unsecured networks such as the internet (May, 2000). PKI is managed by certificate authorities, such as the Post Office or BT in the United Kingdom. The certificate authority records all users of public keys in the form of a digital certificate and oversees all operational aspects of data encryption. Qualifying users of public keys must gain approval from Registration Authorities. The effective management of public keys and certificates has ensured that PKI is a popular choice of architecture for e-businesses. PKI offers security in three important areas: confidentiality, authenticity and non-repudiation. The public-key encryption provides confidentiality; digital certificates ensure authenticity of identity; and the PKI management systems ensure non-repudiation such that transactions cannot be denied by either buyer or seller.