RN Trust
Subhash Staff answered 3 years ago
Safeguarding digital certificates is crucial to ensure their authenticity and prevent unauthorized access or tampering. Here are some key practices to safeguard digital certificates:
Use Secure Storage: Store digital certificates in secure locations such as encrypted databases, hardware security modules (HSMs), or trusted key stores.
Implement Access Controls: Restrict access to digital certificates to authorized personnel only. Use strong authentication methods such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) to control access.
Regularly Update and Patch: Keep certificate management systems and software up-to-date with the latest security patches to address any vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.
Encrypt Communication: Use secure communication protocols such as TLS/SSL when transmitting digital certificates over networks to prevent interception or eavesdropping.
Monitor Certificate Usage: Implement logging and monitoring systems to track the usage and activities related to digital certificates. This helps in detecting any suspicious or unauthorized activities.
Implement Certificate Revocation: Establish procedures for revoking digital certificates in case of loss, theft, or compromise. Maintain up-to-date certificate revocation lists (CRLs) or use online certificate status protocol (OCSP) for real-time certificate validation.
Regularly Audit and Review: Conduct regular audits and reviews of digital certificate usage, access controls, and security policies to identify any gaps or weaknesses and address them promptly.
Educate Users: Provide training and awareness programs to employees on the importance of safeguarding digital certificates, recognizing potential security threats, and following best practices for certificate management.
By implementing these practices, organizations can effectively safeguard their digital certificates and maintain the integrity and security of their digital infrastructure.
Anvi Staff answered 3 years ago
A Digital Certificate is an electronic “password” that allows a person, organization to exchange data securely over the Internet using the public key infrastructure. In other words a digital certificate is an electronic password that authenticates and verifies a device or user.
A digital certificate primarily acts like an identification card; something like a driver’s license, a passport, a company ID, or a school ID.
A digital certificate is an electronic document issued by a Certificate Authority (CA). It contains the public key for a digital signature and specifies the identity associated with the key, such as the name of an organization.
The main purpose of the digital certificate is to ensure that the public key contained in the certificate belongs to the entity to which the certificate was issued, in other words, to verify that a person sending a message is who he or she claims to be, and to then provide the message receiver with the means to encode the message .
There are actually two more types of certificates: code-signing and user/client certificates, which are equally important to securing our online communications.
How to safeguard Digital Certificates?
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- Store private keys on a network separate from general enterprise activity.
- Store private keys in encrypted containers or encrypted physical devices (such as secure thumb drives) stored in a secure location.
- Strictly limit access to private keys on a “need to know” basis.
- Consider using a digital certificate and key management system.
Listed below are some of the Best digital certificate and key management systems:
Keyfactor (formerly Certified Security Solutions):
Keyfactor offers a comprehensive digital certificate and key management platform.
It provides certificate lifecycle management, automation, and compliance solutions.
Website: https://www.keyfactor.com/
Venafi:
Venafi offers a scalable platform for securing and protecting digital certificates and keys.
Its solutions include certificate lifecycle automation, visibility, and policy enforcement.
Website: https://www.venafi.com/
Sectigo:
Sectigo provides a robust digital certificate management platform for enterprises.
Its solutions include certificate issuance, discovery, monitoring, and remediation.
Website: https://sectigo.com/
AppViewX:
AppViewX offers an intelligent certificate and key management platform.
It enables automation, orchestration, and lifecycle management of certificates and keys.
Website: https://www.appviewx.com/
DigiCert CertCentral:
DigiCert CertCentral is a cloud-based platform for managing digital certificates.
It offers features such as certificate issuance, renewal, and monitoring.
Website: https://www.digicert.com/
GlobalSign:
GlobalSign provides a scalable certificate management platform for enterprises.
Its solutions include certificate lifecycle management, automation, and compliance.
Website: https://www.globalsign.com/
Nexus Certificate Manager:
Nexus Certificate Manager is a comprehensive solution for managing digital certificates and keys.
It offers features such as centralized management, automation, and compliance reporting.
Website: https://www.nexusgroup.com/
SecureTrust (formerly Trustwave):
SecureTrust offers a certificate management platform with a focus on security and compliance.
Its solutions include certificate discovery, issuance, and policy enforcement.
Website: https://www.securetrust.com/
EJBCA (Enterprise JavaBeans Certificate Authority):
EJBCA is an open-source certificate authority platform for managing digital certificates.
It provides features such as certificate issuance, revocation, and validation.
Website: https://www.ejbca.org/
PrimeKey EJBCA Cloud:
PrimeKey EJBCA Cloud is a cloud-based certificate authority platform for managing digital certificates.
It offers features such as certificate lifecycle management, compliance, and automation.
Website: https://www.primekey.com/