PFX files exist as 2 different types. Please find information about each of them below.
Type 1: PKCS #12 Certificate File
A PFX file stores certificates, keys, and other data to authenticate devices or people. These password-protected files use encryption for security. PFX files have the extensions .pfx and .p12. They al...
A PFX file stores certificates, keys, and other data to authenticate devices or people. These password-protected files use encryption for security. PFX files have the extensions .pfx and .p12. They allow importing and exporting certificates on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
PFX files contain a header specifying the version and format. The private key gets encrypted by a password algorithm like PBES2 or PKCS#12. The file also includes the certificate chain to establish trust.
PEM files simplify the PFX format. Like PFX, PEM can store the certificate chain and keys in one text file. But PEM files use Base64 encoding without password protection.
PFX files allow secure certificate storage. You can export certificates with private keys only in PFX. Other formats like CER and P7B omit private keys. PFX joins public and private content needed to deploy certificates.
Microsoft Management Console
OpenSSL
Keychain Access