Final answer:
A digital certificate is used to associate a public key with an identity, providing a way to verify that a public key belongs to a specific individual or entity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The component used to associate a public key with an identity is a digital certificate. This is a digital document that is issued by a trusted entity known as a Certificate Authority (CA). The digital certificate contains the public key along with the identity of the key owner, and it is digitally signed by the CA. This ensures that the public key can be confidently associated with the individual or entity it claims to represent, as the signature can be verified to check the authenticity of the certificate. When a certificate is presented, the recipient can use this to establish a secure channel or verify a digital signature generated by the individual or entity.