easyMultiple Choice
SSCP Practice Question: A security professional is implementing a…
A security professional is implementing a solution to verify the authenticity of a digital certificate. Which component of a PKI is responsible for issuing and revoking certificates?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse the OCSP responder or CRL as the entity that performs revocation, when in fact they are merely mechanisms to check or distribute revocation status, while only the CA has the authority to issue or revoke a certificate.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
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Certificate Authority (CA)
The Certificate Authority (CA) is the core component of a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) responsible for issuing digital certificates and, crucially, for revoking them when they are no longer trusted. While other components support certificate status checking or verification, only the CA has the authority to sign and publish certificates or revocation information.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) responder
Why it's wrong here
An OCSP responder returns real-time revocation status for a given certificate; it does not issue or revoke anything. It is the correct component when a client needs a live status check instead of downloading a full certificate revocation list.
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Certificate Authority (CA)
Why this is correct
The Certificate Authority issues digital certificates by signing them with its own private key, binding a public key to an identity, and publishes revocation status through CRLs or OCSP. That issuing and revoking function is precisely the PKI component the stem asks for.
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Certificate Revocation List (CRL)
Why it's wrong here
A CRL only publishes serial numbers of certificates already revoked; it neither issues certificates nor performs revocation itself. It is the right component when a relying party must check whether a previously issued certificate has been revoked.
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Registration Authority (RA)
Why it's wrong here
An RA verifies subscriber identity and forwards approved requests, but the CA actually signs, issues and revokes certificates. The RA is correct when the scenario concerns identity proofing and enrolment vetting rather than the authority that issues and revokes.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SSCP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SSCP exam.