Hi @stevedennis !
This is not about transport security, that's fine over HTTPs. Using a custom signing key for the feed is an important security feature to ensure the feed itself is integral and authentic and the artefacts from the feed can be verified.
We run a CA and deploy certificates and keys signed from this central authority as part of a wider security measure across services, machines and users. Practically, this means that users install a single CA certificate which can automatically derive authenticity and validity across artefacts and services without having to manage multiple certificates since these are formed as part of a chain.
In the case of ProGet, we request the ability to upload a signing key (both through the UI and via API) and which would cryptographically sign the feed. Note that because a key can be uploaded, a public certificate for the key can be generated such that a user can then use either the CA or the feed's public certificate to verify the contents during package retrieval.
Another important feature of uploading a custom signing key is that we can issue and revoke keys, certificates and signatures (and with specific date ranges) from a centrally managed location without disrupting the service itself, issuing a notice if necessary. This would allow us to indicate if a feed and its artefacts were ever tampered with before upload or whilst hosted.
Thanks,