Certificates Overview

SSL uses public–private key technology that requires a private key paired with an authentication certificate for the SSL service. An SSL certificate includes identifying information such as a public key and a signature issued by a certificate authority (CA).

CAs are entities that validate identities and issue certificates. A CA can issue multiple certificates in the form of a tree structure. A root certificate is the topmost certificate of the tree, the private key of which is used to sign other certificates. All certificates immediately below the root certificate inherit the signature or trustworthiness of the root certificate. This is somewhat like the notarizing of an identity. You can configure a root CA certificate by first obtaining a root CA certificate (by either generating a self-signed one or importing one) and then applying it to an SSL proxy profile.