EndEntitätszertifikat

EndEntitätszertifikat, often translated as End-Entity Certificate, is a digital certificate issued to an end-user or a device. This certificate serves as an electronic identity for the entity and is typically used to authenticate its identity in secure communication protocols. Unlike intermediate or root certificates which form the chain of trust in a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), an end-entity certificate represents the final link, directly validating the subject it's issued to.

These certificates are commonly employed in various security applications. For instance, they are crucial for securing web traffic using TLS/SSL, where a website's server presents an end-entity certificate to a browser to prove its identity and enable encrypted communication. In a similar vein, they can be used for client authentication, allowing users or devices to prove their identity to a server before gaining access. Digital signing of emails or documents also relies on end-entity certificates to verify the sender's authenticity and the integrity of the message. The issuance and management of end-entity certificates are handled by Certificate Authorities (CAs) which verify the identity of the applicant before issuing the certificate.