What type of certificate should a secure public Web server on the Internet have?

A secure public Web server on the Internet should have a certificate that is issued by a public certificate authority (CA) because public CAs are trusted by web browsers and operating systems. When a certificate is issued by a recognized public CA, it assures users that the website is legitimate, which enhances trust and security. This trust is essential for online transactions, as it provides users with assurance that their data is encrypted and that they are communicating with the authentic organization.

Public CAs undergo a rigorous validation process before issuing certificates, which ensures that the entity requesting the certificate has the right to use the domain. Browsers are pre-configured to trust certificates from these authorities, which allows for a seamless experience for users without warning messages.

Other options, such as signing with a 4096-bit or a 1024-bit key, pertain to the strength and security level of the encryption but do not address the trust aspect that a public CA provides. The type of key used primarily affects the strength of the encryption rather than the trustworthiness of the certificate. Additionally, certificates issued by an enterprise CA are typically used for internal networks and are not recognized by external users, making them unsuitable for securing a public web server. Hence, the most appropriate choice for a secure