What happens when a digital certificate is revoked?

When a digital certificate is revoked, it is officially marked as no longer valid and must be disseminated to potential users, which is accomplished through the Certificate Revocation List (CRL). The CRL is a crucial component of public key infrastructure (PKI) that provides a means to inform users that a certificate should not be trusted any longer due to reasons such as loss, compromise, or other security incidents.

Once a certificate is revoked, it will appear on the CRL, which is regularly updated by the certificate authority (CA). This ensures that anyone attempting to verify the revoked certificate will receive the latest information and can act accordingly, preventing misuse of the certificate.

This process helps maintain the integrity and security of the PKI by ensuring that all users are aware of certificates that should no longer be relied upon.