TLS Server Certificate Information

Server Certificate Information

Question

When communicating via TLS, the client initiates the handshake to the server and the server responds back with its certificate for identification.

Which information is available on the server certificate?

Answers

Explanations

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A. B. C. D.

D.

When a client initiates a TLS (Transport Layer Security) handshake with a server, the server responds back with its certificate for identification. The certificate contains several pieces of information that help the client verify the identity of the server.

Option D is the correct answer to this question. The server certificate contains the server name, the trusted CA (Certificate Authority), and the public key. Here's a detailed explanation of each piece of information:

  • Server name: The server name is the DNS name or IP address of the server that the client is trying to communicate with. It's included in the certificate to ensure that the client is communicating with the intended server.

  • Trusted CA: The trusted CA is the entity that issued the server certificate. The client has a list of trusted CAs, and it uses this list to verify the authenticity of the server certificate. If the client doesn't trust the CA that issued the certificate, it will not trust the certificate itself.

  • Public key: The public key is used for encrypting data that is sent to the server. The server certificate contains the public key that corresponds to the private key that the server uses for decryption. The client uses this public key to encrypt a session key that is used for symmetric encryption during the session.

Option A is incorrect because it includes the private key, which should never be included in a server certificate. The private key should be kept secret by the server and should never be shared with anyone else.

Option B is incorrect because it includes cipher suites, which are negotiated during the TLS handshake and are not part of the server certificate.

Option C is incorrect because it includes the private key, which should not be included in the certificate. It also includes the cipher suites, which, as mentioned above, are negotiated during the TLS handshake and are not part of the server certificate.