Trust Darknet: Control and Compromise in the Internet´s Certificate Authority Model

For more than a decade, Internet users have relied on digital certificates issued by certificate authorities to encrypt and authenticate their most valuable communications. Computer security experts have lambasted weaknesses in the system since its inception. Recent exploits have brought several problems back into stark focus. The authors describe some proposed technology-based improvements, as well as some legal, economic, and organizational shortcomings of the trust model. They also propose first steps toward fixes and next steps for study.