What is a digital identity?

A digital identity is an electronic way of identifying someone. It consists of a certificate containing a “public key,” which is viewable, and a “private key,” which is kept secret.

Your private key lets you sign an electronic document with a signature that others can verify using only your public key. Likewise, your private key can decrypt documents that were encrypted by others using your public key.

For a digital identity to be accepted as a valid item, it needs to be trusted by the recipient. To help ensure the authenticity of a digital identity, certificate authorities supply digital identities to individuals whose identities have been verified. See What’s a certificate?

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macOS User Guide

What is a digital identity?