[zz]How certificate chains work

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How certificate chains work

 

When you receive the certificate for another entity, you might need touse a certificate chain to obtain the root CA certificate. The certificate chain, also known as the certification path, is a list of certificates used to authenticate anentity. The chain, or path, begins with the certificate of that entity, andeach certificate in the chain is signed by the entity identified by the nextcertificate in the chain. The chain terminates with a root CA certificate.The root CA certificate is always signed by the CA itself. The signaturesof all certificates in the chain must be verified until the root CA certificateis reached. Figure 1 illustrates a certification path fromthe certificate owner to the root CA, where the chain of trust begins.

Figure 1. Chain oftrust