rootauthority

Root authority refers to the highest-level certification authority in a public key infrastructure (PKI) or a certificate authority (CA) hierarchy. This entity is responsible for issuing top-level Digital Certificates (TCs), which are used to verify the authenticity of lower-level certification authorities.

In a typical PKI or CA hierarchy, there are multiple levels of certification authorities, each with its own subordinate certification authorities. However, all subordinate authorities ultimately rely on the root authority for their trust and legitimacy. The root authority acts as the trust anchor, providing the necessary confidence and trust in the entire system.

The root authority is often associated with a trust anchor or a self-signed certificate, which serves as the root of the trust chain. This certificate is used to verify the authenticity of all other certificates in the hierarchy. The root authority's relationship with subordinate authorities is typically one-way, meaning that subordinate authorities cannot issue or revoke certificates that are not explicitly authorized by the root authority.

To maintain the integrity of the system, root authorities should adhere to strict security and governance guidelines. They should maintain the confidentiality of private key materials, utilize robust certificate validation and revocation procedures, and enforce strong certificate and key management controls. The root authority also plays a critical role in maintaining the security, trustworthiness, and legitimacy of the entire PKI or CA hierarchy.