What is one primary purpose of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)?

One primary purpose of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is to manage digital certificates and keys. PKI provides a framework that enables secure communications and transactions over networks by using a combination of hardware, software, policies, and standards to create and manage digital certificates. These certificates are essential for establishing trust between parties, as they authenticate the identity of the entities involved, ensuring that data transmitted over the internet is secure and that users can verify each other's identities.

By managing the lifecycle of digital certificates — including creation, distribution, revocation, and renewal — PKI plays a crucial role in securing applications, enabling encrypted communications, and supporting secure electronic transactions. This management of certificates and keys facilitates the secure exchange of information, which is foundational to many secure protocols like HTTPS and secure email.

In contrast to other options, encrypting user passwords, providing firewall protection, or creating virtual private networks do not encapsulate the primary role of PKI, which centers specifically on the management and authentication aspects of digital identities and their associated keys.