200-201 Question 163
Select 3A cybersecurity analyst is reviewing an HTTPS certificate for a website that users reported as suspicious. The analyst finds the certificate includes the following details:
- Issuer: Let's Encrypt Authority X3
- Subject: www.example.com
- Expiration Date: 10 days from today
- Public Key: RSA 2048-bit
- Serial Number: 123456789
Which of the following components is crucial for validating the certificate's authenticity and trustworthiness?
- A
Issuer
- B
Subject
- C
Expiration Date
- D
Public Key
- E
Serial Number
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, B, C
Explanation
When evaluating a certificate's authenticity and trustworthiness, critical components include the issuer (to verify the certificate authority), the subject (to ensure the certificate matches the intended domain or entity), and the expiration date (to confirm the certificate is still valid). While the public key and serial number are essential for other purposes, they are not directly used to assess the certificate's trustworthiness in this scenario.
- A. Correct.
The issuer indicates which Certificate Authority (CA) issued the certificate. This is critical for verifying if the certificate is trusted based on the CA’s reputation and the browser's trusted CA list.
- B. Correct.
The subject specifies the domain name or entity the certificate is issued for. It must match the website being accessed to ensure the certificate is not being misused.
- C. Correct.
The expiration date ensures the certificate is still valid. An expired certificate is considered untrustworthy and could indicate a potential attack.
- D. Incorrect.
The public key is used for encryption but does not directly validate the certificate's authenticity or trustworthiness.
- E. Incorrect.
The serial number is unique to the certificate but doesn't directly impact its authenticity or trustworthiness.