Which statement best describes the purpose of a certificate signing request (CSR)?

Which statement best describes the purpose of a certificate signing request (CSR)?

• A. A CSR is the request sent to a CA to obtain a certificate.
• B. A CSR is the issued credential presented to validate identity.
• C. A CSR is used to revoke certificates.
• D. A CSR is stored by the CA as the public certificate.

Answer: (A)

A certificate signing request is the data you generate and send to a Certificate Authority when you want a digital certificate issued. It includes your public key and identifying information, and it’s signed with the private key that corresponds to that public key to prove you control the key pair. The CA uses the information in the CSR to bind your identity to your public key and, after validation, issues a certificate that the CA signs with its own key. The CSR itself is not the issued credential and is not used to revoke certificates; those roles belong to the final certificate and the revocation mechanisms, respectively.

A certificate signing request is the data you generate and send to a Certificate Authority when you want a digital certificate issued. It includes your public key and identifying information, and it’s signed with the private key that corresponds to that public key to prove you control the key pair. The CA uses the information in the CSR to bind your identity to your public key and, after validation, issues a certificate that the CA signs with its own key. The CSR itself is not the issued credential and is not used to revoke certificates; those roles belong to the final certificate and the revocation mechanisms, respectively.