Client Certificate vs Server Certificate: What's the Difference?

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Understanding the dynamics of digital certificates can be a daunting task, especially for new users. With so much technical jargon floating around, navigating the cybersecurity space requires an in-depth knowledge of web encryption and authentication.

The difference between a client certificate and a server certificate is often confusing to non-technical users, but knowing what they are and how they work is very important in online environments that involve authenticating users and protecting sensitive data.

This article will look at the difference between a client and server certificate and their role in web security. By learning how they work, you will understand what is happening behind the scenes during communication between your device (the client) and a remote server.

Table of contents

What is a client certificate?
What is a server certificate?
What is the difference between a client and server certificate?
What is a client certificate?
A client certificate is a digital certificate issued and mobile app development service used by a client, typically an end-user device or application, to verify its identity when connecting to a secure server, thereby enabling secure and mutually authenticated interactions in various online transactions and interactions.

The term “client” refers to the entity initiating a connection to a secure server. This client can be a computer, smartphone, or application that seeks to securely interact with the server.




How does a client certificate work?
To better understand the role of client and server certificates, you first need to learn about public key infrastructure (PKI) . A client authentication certificate verifies the client's connection to the server. This digital certificate is issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) and contains the client's public key . It is paired with a private key that is securely stored on the client.

During the SSL handshake, the server and client present their certificates. The server verifies the client's certificate by checking the signature against the CA's public key. If successful, it establishes mutual authentication.

After mutual authentication is confirmed, the server and client certificate exchange a symmetric session key. This key encrypts and decrypts data transmitted during the session, ensuring confidentiality.

A client certificate verifies the identity of the client through trusted certificate authorities and establishes a secure and authenticated channel for communication between the client and the server.

What is a server certificate?
A server certificate is a digital certificate that verifies the authenticity of a server on a computer network. Issued by a trusted certification authority to a server, it establishes a secure communication channel between a client (such as a web browser) and the server.

The certificate contains information about the server, including its public key. A server certificate is part of secure communication protocols such as HTTPS . When we mention server certificates, we are referring to SSL certificates used by websites to ensure data privacy.