When might a Trusted Agent need to revoke a digital certificate?

A Trusted Agent might need to revoke a digital certificate when there is a suspicion that the certificate has been compromised. Digital certificates are critical to establishing secure communications and authenticating identities within a public key infrastructure. If there is any indication that the private key associated with the certificate has been accessed or used without authorization, the integrity and trustworthiness of the certificate are called into question. In such instances, revocation is necessary to prevent further abuse and protect the security of the system.

Revocation helps to ensure that only valid, trustworthy certificates are used for authentication purposes. It prevents any malicious activity that could arise if a compromised certificate were to remain active, thereby preserving the overall security of the network and its users. This action is part of maintaining a secure PKI environment, where the validity of a certificate is central to trust operations.