Root and Intermediate Certificates: Key Differences Explained

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Understanding the difference between root and intermediate certificates is essential to secure internet communications. These two types of digital certificates, along with SSL certificates, form the basis of secure web browsing by ensuring encrypted data transfer and establishing trust between servers and users. But what exactly differentiates them from each other?

Root certificates act as the ultimate authority, sitting at the top of the certificate hierarchy, while intermediate certificates act as intermediaries, creating a secure chain of trust . In this article, we'll break down the roles, functions, and key differences between these certificates to help you understand how they work together to protect sensitive information online.

Root and intermediate certificates
Key findings

Root certificates are the highest-level certificates in mobile app development service the chain of trust, self-signed by a trusted certificate authority (CA). They form the basis of secure communications and are critical to establishing trust on the Internet.
Intermediate certificates act as intermediaries between the root certificate and the end-user certificate. They are signed by root certificates or other intermediate certificates and help create a chain of trust, reducing the risk associated with direct use of root certificates.
Both types of certificates work together to provide encryption, authentication, and data integrity on the Internet, protecting sensitive information from cyber threats.
Table of contents




What is a root certificate?
What is an intermediate certificate?
Explanation of the certificate hierarchy
The Importance of Certificate Chains
Key Differences Between Root and Intermediate Certificates
Advanced concepts related to root and intermediate certificates
Overview of Root and Intermediate Certificates
What is a root certificate?
A root certificate , often referred to as a CA certificate , is a digital certificate that serves as the foundation of a public key infrastructure (PKI) system . It is issued by a trusted certification authority (CA) and is self-signed, meaning the CA verifies its own authenticity. Root certificates are stored in a trusted store known as the root store, which is maintained by browsers and operating systems to authenticate secure connections.

Root certificates are very important for establishing the highest level of trust in a certificate chain. They verify and sign intermediate certificates, which in turn sign end-user certificates. Because of their importance, root certificates are usually valid for a long time, often 20-25 years or more.

Unlike commercial certificates, root certificates have a much longer lifespan. Here is the expiration date for Sectigo ECC. As you can see, it expires in the distant year 2038.