SY0-301 · Question #296
Which of the following must be kept secret for a public key infrastructure to remain secure?
The correct answer is D. Private key. In a PKI system, the private key must remain secret because it is the only component capable of decrypting data encrypted with its paired public key and creating valid digital signatures.
Question
Which of the following must be kept secret for a public key infrastructure to remain secure?
Options
- ACertificate Authority
- BCertificate revocation list
- CPublic key ring
- DPrivate key
How the community answered
(51 responses)- A2% (1)
- B4% (2)
- C2% (1)
- D92% (47)
Why each option
In a PKI system, the private key must remain secret because it is the only component capable of decrypting data encrypted with its paired public key and creating valid digital signatures.
The Certificate Authority is a trusted third party whose public certificate and identity are widely known and distributed to establish a verifiable chain of trust.
The Certificate Revocation List is a publicly distributed list that any party can query to check whether a certificate has been revoked before trusting it.
A public key ring is a collection of public keys that are, by design, meant to be shared openly so others can encrypt data destined for the key owners.
The private key is the cornerstone of PKI security - if compromised, an attacker can decrypt all communications encrypted with the paired public key and forge digital signatures on behalf of the key owner. All other PKI components, such as public keys, CA certificates, and the CRL, are intentionally designed to be publicly accessible.
Concept tested: PKI private key confidentiality requirement
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/encryption-models
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