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book/source/adv/certificates.md
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@ -5,6 +5,20 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-SA-4.0
# Advanced material: Certificates
## Introduction to OpenPGP certificates
OpenPGP certificates are pivotal in establishing and maintaining trust within the realm of secure communications. These certificates encapsulate public key data along with user identities and are instrumental in the encryption, decryption, and signing processes that underpin the OpenPGP standard.
### Overview of OpenPGP certificates
An OpenPGP certificate comprises one or more public keys, a user ID that associates the certificate with a real-world identity, and signatures that validate this association. Certificates are the foundation of the Web of Trust model, allowing users to sign each other's keys to endorse the linkage between a key and its owner's identity. This decentralized trust model enables users to establish chains of trust for verifying identities in the absence of a central authority.
### Importance and use cases
OpenPGP certificates are crucial for a wide range of applications, from secure email communication to software signing and beyond. They provide the mechanisms for users to encrypt messages, ensuring that only the intended recipient can decrypt them, and to sign data, confirming the integrity and origin of the information. In the software development domain, OpenPGP certificates are used to sign code and packages, allowing users to verify the authenticity and integrity of software they download and install.
In this chapter, we aim to delve deeper into the advanced concepts surrounding OpenPGP certificates, focusing on their validity, expiration, and the critical role they play in ensuring the security and reliability of cryptographic communications. By exploring these concepts, we aim to provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of how OpenPGP certificates function within the ecosystem, their practical applications, and best practices for managing certificate validity and expiration to maintain a secure cryptographic environment.
## When are certificates valid?
Certificates are composites of components that are linked together using [signatures](../signing_components).