---
title: Certificate
id: certificate
date: 2018-04-12
full_link: /docs/tasks/tls/managing-tls-in-a-cluster/
short_description: >
  A cryptographically secure file used to validate access to the Kubernetes cluster.

aka: 
tags:
- security
---
 A cryptographically secure file used to validate access to the Kubernetes cluster.

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Certificates enable applications within a Kubernetes cluster to access the Kubernetes API securely. Certificates validate that clients are allowed to access the API.