Every digital certificate has a pair of associated cryptographic keys. This pair of keys consists of a private key and a public key. A public key is part of the owner's digital certificate and is available for anyone to use. A private key, however, is protected by and available only to the owner of the key. This limited access ensures that communications that use the key are kept secure. A detailed tutorial about creating a public key pair can be read here http://www.backup4all.com/kb/how-to-create-a-private-public-key-pair-406.html
