Large enterprises remain the top targets for cybercriminals, and that’s the reason why smaller businesses completely neglect establishing a robust online security strategy. They think they’re not the target.
This has caused an increase in small organizations experiencing data breaches and online theft. No business is an exception for hackers, especially if you’re an easy target.
PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) and SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates are necessary for organizations because they provide robust encryption services and multi-factor authentication that secure online data transmission and ensure the sources are authorized.
Let’s get into the details of how this system works and what significant role an SSL certificate plays:
What is PKI?
The web network of an organization has all its servers and internal devices connected to it. Sensitive data is transmitted among these entities. PKI provides secure transmission of data using encryption.
How Does PKI Work?
The two entities involved in data transmission get public and private keys. These keys are generated by the RSA algorithm. One encrypts between public and private keys, and the corresponding key decrypts. If the sender encrypts its data with the public key the receiver will decrypt the data with the corresponding private key.
NOTE: The sender always encrypts data with the recipient’s public key, decrypted by the receiver using their private key.
Before this process occurs, PKI needs to ensure the client and the server participating in the transfer are authorized and trustworthy. This is where the SSL certificates come in.
SSL Certificates and Their Role in PKI
SSL certificates authenticate a website’s identity and facilitate an encrypted link between the organization’s web servers and browsers. They contain identifiable information such as the user’s name, company, IP address, serial number, digital signatures, public and private keys for encryption and issuance, and expiry dates. These certificates are mostly issued and authorized by CA (Certificate Authority).
Installing an SSL certificate for PKI security on a web server activates the HTTPS protocol. It provides a padlock establishing secure data transmissions between the servers and the browser.
This is how they work:
A server or a browser attempts to connect with a website that runs on another web server, both of which have SSL installed. The website/server requests the other to identify itself. A copy of the SSL certificate is sent upon request and is examined by the receiver. The receiver checks their authority and sends a digitally signed acknowledgment to begin the encryption process using the PKI security method (using public and private keys).
PKI Manager and Its Benefits
An organization must authenticate and protect numerous systems and devices connected to its web server. Because of multiple certificates created to offer a specific type of security, the company might have to issue numerous certificates to its systems and servers.
Managing a series of certificates is an arduous task for an organization to handle by itself because the certificates need to be:
- Created/ Purchased
- Organized
- Distributed
- Implemented
- Monitored
- Stored
- Renewed
- Replaced
- Revoked
Additionally, all certificate policies need to be adhered to. A PKI manager executes all of the above effectively. Additionally, a PKI manager allows the IT teams of an organization to:
- Seamlessly deploy identities, authentications, and quick access to all its users with hardly any user interaction.
- Certificate customizations to the company’s infrastructure and needs
- Manage custom CA (Certificate Authority) hierarchies.
- Save costs and manage the PKI execution flawlessly.
Understanding the importance of a PKI Manager in IT security is key for any enterprise. This tool plays a crucial role in managing and securing digital certificates, contributing significantly to the overall cybersecurity posture of an organization.
With Sectigo’s comprehensive automated certificate management system, businesses can leverage advanced PKI Management tools to enhance their IT security and ensure smooth operation.
Enhance Online Security With PKI Manager
Major issues regarding online security compliance, service outages, and increased downtime occur with poor management of digital certificates.
Without properly implementing a certificate management system, businesses fail to keep up with the lifecycle of certificates. This causes the validity to expire, and along goes the security. Hence numerous companies become an easy target and experience:
- Security breaches
- Service irregularities and longer downtimes
- Penalties for failing to comply with data security guidelines
- Decrease in sales, loss of customers and their trust, harm to reputation
- Compensations and damage control.
A PKI manager takes up a series of incredibly important tasks and executes them just right. As businesses scale, managing the added layers of PKI security tends to require an automated PKI managing system which remains the best option for enhanced security.
