Quick Answer
The answer is the Certificate Authority (CA). The CA is the core PKI component issuing certificates, as it holds the trusted root or subordinate signing key used to digitally bind a public key to an identity, and it alone has the authority to revoke that binding by publishing Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs) or OCSP responses. On the Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) exam, this concept tests your understanding of PKI trust models and the separation of duties between the CA, Registration Authority (RA), and relying parties. A common trap is confusing the RA, which verifies identity, with the CA, which actually signs and revokes the certificate. Remember the mnemonic: CA = Certifying Authority, the only one that can sign and unsign a certificate.
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of cryptography. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
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?
Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) responder
Why wrong: OCSP checks revocation status but does not issue certificates.
Certificate Authority (CA)
The CA issues and revokes digital certificates.
Certificate Revocation List (CRL)
Why wrong: A CRL is a list, not an issuer.
Registration Authority (RA)
Why wrong: The RA verifies identity but does not issue certificates.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
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.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) responder
Why it's wrong here
OCSP checks revocation status but does not issue certificates.
Certificate Authority (CA)
Why this is correct
The CA issues and revokes digital certificates.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Certificate Revocation List (CRL)
Why it's wrong here
A CRL is a list, not an issuer.
Registration Authority (RA)
Why it's wrong here
The RA verifies identity but does not issue certificates.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates 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.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, the CA holds the root or intermediate signing key and uses it to digitally sign each certificate (per RFC 5280). Revocation is performed by the CA updating its database and generating a new CRL or updating OCSP responses; the CA's private key must be protected, often in a Hardware Security Module (HSM). In real-world scenarios, if a CA's private key is compromised, all certificates issued by that CA must be revoked and re-issued, demonstrating the CA's central role in both issuance and revocation.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Cryptography — This question tests Cryptography — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: 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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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.
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