Final answer:
Cryptography is commonly used to verify the owner of a public key using digital signatures. X.509 is a standardized format for digital certificates.
Step-by-step explanation:
A common application of cryptography is the use of a digital signature to verify the owner of a public key. In this case, a trusted third party is responsible for digitally signing the public key, which helps prevent man-in-the-middle attacks where someone impersonates the owner of the key.
X.509 is a widely used format for public key certificates, defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It provides a standardized way to represent and exchange digital certificates, which contain information about the owner of a public key and the trusted party that verified it.