2024-06-08, 09:00–09:45, Track 1 (UC Conference Rm A)
This talk explores the creation process of a digital certificate,
used for identity in protocols such as TLS, a critical element for secure online interactions. After submission to a Certificate Authority (CA) there are still many more steps that are necessary before the certificate is ultimately signed and returned to the requester. In this session we will dive into the processes that go into providing trust with digital certificates on the Internet.
This talk unveils a marvel unseen,
A digital trust journey, a cryptographic sheen.
First, a key is born, a powerful pair,
One secret to keep and one public to share.
The public key travels, on valiant quest,
To a trusted authority, and is put to the test.
This watchful body, the CA grand,
Verifies the owner, with a discerning hand.
DNS steps in, a domain's proof it demands,
Ensuring ownership, by rightful hands.
Transparency follows, a public display,
Of certificates issued, for all to survey.
The CA then signs, with its key ever strong,
A mark of trust, for the Internet throng.
The signed certificate, a beacon so bright,
Guarantees private passage, both day and night.
Carl Mehner is an information security engineer who has spent the last decade working with the public key infrastructure, certificates, and secure protocols. He is passionate about securing digital data, helping others learn, and playing music.