What are Certification Authorities responsible for?

Certification Authorities (CAs) play a crucial role in the realm of digital security by managing the issuance and lifecycle of digital certificates. These certificates are essential for establishing secure communications over networks, particularly in scenarios like HTTPS for web traffic, email encryption, and secure software distribution.

The primary responsibility of a CA is to verify the identity of entities requesting a digital certificate and then to create and issue that certificate, which digitally links the entity's identity with a pair of cryptographic keys. This process is vital for creating trust in digital communications, as users and systems can rely on the authenticity of a certificate provided by a reputable CA.

While other options might suggest important functions within cybersecurity, they do not capture the primary focus and responsibility of CAs. For example, auditing websites for security issues involves assessing website security measures rather than issuing certificates, and developing encryption algorithms pertains to the creation of secure methods, rather than the management of identity verification through certificates. Monitoring network traffic relates to observing and analyzing data flows but does not involve the issuance of digital certificates at all. Thus, the focus on managing the issuance of digital certificates accurately reflects the core duties carried out by Certification Authorities.