Final answer:
The Certification Authority (CA) is the correct option that issues and maintains digital certificates.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct option that issues and maintains digital certificates is the Certification Authority (CA).
A Certification Authority is responsible for issuing and revoking digital certificates, which are used to authenticate the identity of individuals, websites, and organizations in a secure manner. It acts as a trusted third party that verifies the identity of the certificate holder and signs the certificate with its private key to ensure its authenticity.
Example: Let's say a person wants to secure their website with an SSL certificate. They would submit a certificate signing request (CSR) to a Certification Authority along with proof of their identity. The CA would then verify the identity and issue a digitally signed certificate that can be used to secure the website.