Trust Models

As the number of organizations implementing public key infrastructure (PKI) increases and the number of end users and computers in these organizations increases, logistical problems associated with certifying identities and establishing trust also increase. Two primary trust models, certificate hierarchies and cross certification, have evolved to help address these problems. Inherent within both models is the concept of a certificate chain. For more information, see the following topics:

• Certificate Hierarchy
• Cross Certification
• Certificate Chain