WHAT IS PKI?
The full form of PKI stands for Public Key Infrastructure. Which means a security infrastructure of digital signature certificates (DSC), certifying authorities (CA), and other registration authorities (RA) that will verify & authenticate the validity of each subscribers public key. PKI is used to secure communications over networks like internet, by providing a secure way of exchange of information.
In India, the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) is the regulatory body responsible for managing PKI. The CCA is an department for Digital Signature under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and it is responsible for issuing & managing digital certificates for use in e-commerce and other digital transactions. The CCA also makes guidelines & standards for the operation of certificate authorities (CAs) in India, and oversees time to time. CCA also established the Indian Root Certification Authority (IRCA), which is the top-level CA in the Indian PKI hierarchy and is responsible for issuing digital certificates to other CAs in the country.