Brocade Communications Systems ServerIron ADX 12.4.00a - Manual (Page 150)

136 ServerIron ADX Security Guide
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SSL overview
6
Asymmetric cryptography
This method alters information so that the key used for encryption is different from the key used for
decryption. Encrypted information is unintelligible to unauthorized parties.
Certificate Authority (CA)
The certificate authority (CA) issues and manages security credentials and public keys for message
encryption within a network.
Certificate Revocation List (CRL)
The CRL is a list of subscribers paired with their digital signature status, specifically any revoked
certificates and the reason for the revocation.
Cipher suite
A cipher specifies the suite of cryptographic algorithms to be used for key exchange, bulk
encryption, and message authentication.
Digital certificate
A digital certificate is a digital document that is generally stored and administered in a central
directory. It contains the certificate holder's name, a serial number, expiration dates, public key,
and the digital signature of the certificate issuing authority.
Digital signature
A digital (electronic) signature authenticates the identity of the sender, ensures that the original
content of the message is unchanged, is easily transportable, cannot be easily repudiated, cannot
be imitated, and can be automatically time stamped.
Key
When used in the context of cryptography, a key is a series of random numbers used by a
cryptographic algorithm to transform plaintext data into encrypted data, and vice versa.
Key pair
A pair of digital keys - one public and one private - used for encrypting and signing digital
information.
Private key
A cryptographic key known only to the user, employed in public key cryptography in decrypting or
signing information. One half of a key pair.