Public Key Infrastructures; Public And Private Keys - D-Link DWS-1008 - AirPremier MobileLAN Switch Product Manual

• If the switch has no corresponding CA certificate, the switch does not respond to the
request from MSS. If the switch does have a corresponding CA certificate, and the server
certificate is validated (date still valid, signature approved), the switch responds.
If the switch does not respond to the request from MSS, authentication fails and access is denied.
For EAP (802.1X) users, the public-private key pairs and digital certificates can be stored on a RADIUS
server. In this case, the switch operates as a pass-through authenticator.
A public-key infrastructure (PKI) is a system of digital certificates and certification authorities that verify
and authenticate the validity of each party involved in a transaction through the use of public key
cryptography. To have a PKI, the switch requires the following:
• A public key
• A private key
• Digital certificates
• A CA
• A secure place to store the private key
A PKI enables you to securely exchange and validate digital certificates between switches, servers, and
users so that each device can authenticate itself to the others.
D-Link's identity-based networking uses public key cryptography to enforce the privacy of data transmitted
over the network. Using public-private key pairs, users and devices can send encrypted messages that
only the intended receiver can decrypt.
Before exchanging messages, each party in a transaction creates a key pair that includes the public
and private keys. The public key encrypts data and verifies digital signatures, and the corresponding
private key decrypts data and generates digital signatures. Public keys are freely exchanged as part of
digital certificates. Private keys are stored securely.
D-Link DWS-1008 User Manual

Public Key Infrastructures

Public and Private Keys