Cryptographically authenticated database representing a multiple-key-pair root certificate authority

A computer system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• memory storing instructions that are operable when executed by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
• generating a plurality of distinct cryptographic key pairs of a root certificate authority, each of the plurality of distinct cryptographic key pairs comprising a public key and a private key;
• generating a plurality of distinct self-signed root certificates of the root certificate authority, the plurality of distinct self-signed root certificates based on the plurality of distinct cryptographic key pairs, each of the plurality of distinct self-signed root certificates corresponding to a respective key pair of the plurality of distinct cryptographic key pairs and comprising:
• an identity of the root certificate authority;
• the public key of the respective key pair;
• and
• a digital signature generated using the private key of the respective key pair,
• generating a cryptographically authenticated database representing the root certificate authority and comprising:
• the plurality of distinct self-signed root certificates of the root certificate authority;
• and
• validity information representing validity or invalidity of each of the plurality of self-signed root certificates;
• and
• distributing the cryptographically authenticated database to entities in a public key infrastructure, wherein the entities can use the validity information to cryptographically verify the validity or invalidity of each of the plurality of distinct self-signed root certificates.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by data processing apparatus, perform operations comprising:

• generating a plurality of distinct cryptographic key pairs of a root certificate authority, each of the plurality of distinct cryptographic key pairs comprising a public key and a private key;
• generating a plurality of distinct self-signed root certificates of the root certificate authority, the plurality of distinct self-signed root certificates based on the plurality of distinct cryptographic key pairs, each of the plurality of distinct self-signed root certificates corresponding to a respective key pair of the plurality of distinct cryptographic key pairs and comprising:
• an identity of the root certificate authority;
• the public key of the respective key pair;
• and
• a digital signature generated using the private key of the respective key pair,
• generating a cryptographically authenticated database representing the root certificate authority and comprising:
• the plurality of distinct self-signed root certificates of the root certificate authority;
• and
• validity information representing validity or invalidity of each of the plurality of self-signed root certificates;
• and
• distributing the cryptographically authenticated database to entities in a public key infrastructure, wherein the entities can use the validity information to cryptographically verify the validity or invalidity of each of the plurality of distinct self-signed root certificates.