What Is a Certificate Authority and Its Role in Traditional Finance Digital Security?

A Certificate Authority (CA) is a trusted entity that issues digital certificates, verifying the identity of a website or server. In traditional finance, CAs are crucial for securing communications (e.g.

HTTPS) and authenticating parties in transactions. The CA cryptographically signs a public key, vouching that the key belongs to the claimed entity, which allows clients to trust that they are communicating with the legitimate financial institution.