What Is a Pem File?

Privacy Enhanced Mail (PEM) files are concatenated certificate containers frequently used in certificate installations when multiple certificates that form a complete chain are being imported as a single file. They are a defined standard in RFCs 1421 through 1424.

Is a PEM file a key file?

Privacy Enhanced Mail (PEM) files are a type of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) file used for keys and certificates.

Is PEM a public or private key?

2 Answers. A PEM file may contain just about anything including a public key, a private key, or both, because a PEM file is not a standard. In effect PEM just means the file contains a base64-encoded bit of data.