PKI
n.n. Stands for Public Key Infrastructure. A system of rules and digital tools that keeps online communication safe by proving who people and websites really are.
n. Abbreviation for Public Key Infrastructure. A framework of hardware, software, policies, and procedures used to create, manage, distribute, use, store, and revoke digital certificates and manage public-key encryption.
The company uses PKI to secure its internal emails.
Without a robust PKI, it would be impossible to verify the identity of websites during financial transactions.
The security of the entire network relies on the integrity of the PKI, as any compromise of the root certificate authority would invalidate all issued digital identities.
An initialism standing for public key infrastructure. The term is a compound of public key, a concept in asymmetric cryptography, and infrastructure, derived from the Latin infra and structura.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated July 22, 2026