What can a root SSL (TLS) certificate do?

A root SSL (TLS) certificate plays a crucial role in the public key infrastructure (PKI). Its primary function is to serve as the foundation for establishing trustworthiness in the digital certificates that derive from it. When a root certificate is issued, it means that it has undergone rigorous vetting to establish its authority.

The primary role of the root certificate is to generate a signing key, which is then utilized to sign other certificates, known as intermediate or end-entity certificates. This signing process essentially delegates trust. Any certificate that is signed by a trusted root certificate inherits that trust. This hierarchy is essential in SSL/TLS communications, as it ensures that entities can trust the certificates presented to them.

In contrast, while verifying website authenticity, encrypting data in transit, and authenticating users are important functions in the realm of network security, they stem from the usage of certificates rather than directly from the root certificate’s capabilities. The root certificate itself does not perform these actions but instead enables the ecosystem that allows these operations to be performed securely using the certificates it signs.