Introduction

PKI is one of the most important facets of current data protection and the foundation of secure communication and data exchange. Just like any other Information Technology (IT) asset, PKI poses a management headache in large organizations as the organization’s digital requirements grow.

Also Read: What Is a PKI Certificate? [Detailed Guide]

PKI automation provides the solution to the problem that was described above, as it automates and eases the process linked to the management of digital certificates and encryption keys.

It can be defined as the process of managing the PKI through an organization’s operational life cycle, with the aid of automation at some stages, such as issuance, reissuance, and revocation.

From the perspective of numerous digital certificates on the enterprises’ side across numerous platforms and applications, PKI automation presents practical advantages in potential productivity, security, and economic aspects.

What is PKI Automation?

PKI automation is defined as the process of automating the management and issuance of digital certificates, as well as encryption keys, without having to be done manually.

The management of PKI is complex, and this is where certificate lifecycle management is a perfect, all-in-one solution that unites the management and simplifies it.

Essentially, PKI automation is a solution that resolves the issues that organizations with thousands or even millions of digital certificates in different platforms, applications, and networks encounter.

Also Read: What is Private PKI vs. Public PKI? Uses and Key Differences

The growth of the digital signature of enterprises, meanwhile, causes a lot more time consumption, error possibility, and resource consumption when the manual management of PKI is involved.

The problems stated above are addressed by PKI automation because it brings order, accuracy, and repeatability to the management of certificates. It covers various aspects of PKI management, including:

• Certificate Issuance
• Distribution
• Installation
• Monitoring
• Renewal
• Revocation

By automating these processes, organizations can significantly reduce the time and effort required for PKI management while minimizing the risk of human error.

Key Components of PKI Automation

Certificate Discovery

Self-discovery tools are used to search for the certificate name in the systems to get all the SSL/TLS certificates in the network. It also leads to the updating of the certification inventory list within the various establishments in an organization.

Certificate Lifecycle Management

Automation tools ensure the issuance, installation, renewal, or revocation of digital certificates right from a request for a new certificate.

Centralized Management Console

A main console allows for the tracking of all the certificates within the organization, their current state, and expiration/renewal dates.

Also Read: PKI Use Cases for Modern Enterprise Security

Integration with Certificate Authorities (CAs)

The PKI automation solutions work with different public and private CA authorities and simplify the use of certificates acquired from different sources.

Reporting and Compliance

Using its various reports, cases of usage, compliance concerns, and other related matters are easily identified by the system.

Benefits of PKI Automation for Enterprises

Improved Security

Automation of the PKI also minimizes the possibility of mistakes in the issue of certificates. This way, the renewals are more synchronized, and the system does not employ invalid certificates that have the potential of exposing them to attacks.

Increased Efficiency

This helps to save the time of the IT teams, which would have been used to handle routine tasks, to work on more significant matters. This has the potential to make improvements to productivity and how resources are utilized.

Cost Reduction

Having many of the processes automated, the company no longer needs to employ people to manage its certificates, saving on labor expenses. It also assists in eliminating more serious issues that could be related to expired certificates and lead to outages.

Enhanced Visibility

Management consoles offer the necessary level of visibility about the certificates in use and the activities linked to those certificates that are still to be performed.

Compliance Assurance

Reporting and management tools allow for compliance with the regulations of the industry and of the organization’s standards and specifications.

Scalability

Over time, PKI automation simply extends itself to facilitate the management of growing numbers of certificates, of diverse types, across the various organizational platforms and applications.

Minimized Downtime

This helps to avoid situations where certification has expired and systems are down, or services that require such certifications are out of service.

Also Read: What are Certificate Outages? How to Avoid SSL Certificate Outages with ACME?

Standardization

Automations of the PKI maintain standard certificate policies in an organization, hence promoting standard security measures.

Rapid Incident Response

When there is an issue with the certificates, automated systems will easily cancel and issue new ones, ensuring that the problem created by the breach is rectified instantly.

Support for DevOps and Agile Practices

PKI automation is complementary to the DevOps tooling and culture and, therefore, aids in the fast distribution of applications and updates.

PKI Solutions and Certificate Management Tools

Several solutions are available to help enterprises implement PKI automation. Here’s an overview of some popular options:

Sectigo Certificate Manager

Sectigo certificate manager is also capable of providing proper management of certificates throughout their life cycle. It gives automated discovery, issuing, and renewals of SSL/TLS certificates.

It supports both public and private CAs to meet the different requirements of enterprises while operating in the network.

Key Features:

• Centralized certificate management
• Automated discovery and inventory
• Integration with multiple CAs
• Sound reporting and audit functions

Comodo Certificate Manager

Comodo Certificate Manager is a tool that is developed to allow an organization to manage all its digital certificates efficiently. It includes options for managing, discovering, and reporting on certificates’ entire lifecycle.

Key Features:

• Multi-CA support
• Automated certificate renewal
• Customizable workflows
• Detailed audit logs

DigiCert Trust Lifecycle Manager

With regard to PKI automation, DigiCert Trust Lifecycle Manager has a lot to offer. This helps in having a unique point of monitoring and administration of all the SSL/TLS certificates, keys, and any other digital items.

Key Features:

• Proposal for certificate discovery and its management
• Interaction with DigiCert and Third-party CAs
• Advanced reporting and analytics
• Backing for IoT gear certificates

Private CA Solutions

Private CA solutions are designed for those organizations that have specific security needs to have better control over issuing certificates. Such solutions enable enterprises to become their own CA, or in other words, to carry out certification inside the enterprise.

Key Features:

• The level of autonomy in determining the certificate policies
• Enhanced security and trust
• Customizable certificate attributes
• This system can also integrate with other internal systems easily.

Managed PKI Services

Outsourced third-party managed PKI services are ready-made solutions for enterprises that want to outsource PKI management.

These services are comprehensive in terms of certificate management and will relieve organizations of the problems related to this issue, enabling them to concentrate on their primary activities.

Key Features:

• End-to-end certificate management
• 24/7 support and monitoring
• Proper updates on the security factors and those patches that are frequently released to the software applications or programs used in the system.
• Compliance with industry standards

Enterprise Code Signing Solutions

Code signing is fundamental for developers since it allows them to sign their code to prove its authenticity and its content. Enterprise code signing solutions are what cover the steps and make the signing process secure.

Key Features:

• There should be a central point of management of the code-signing certificates
• Secure key storage
• Integration with development tools
• Automated signing processes

Enterprise S/MIME Solutions

For encryption and digital signing of emails, Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) certificates are highly recommended. Solutions designed for enterprise S/MIME manage these certificates and their distribution.

Key Features:

• Self-enrollment of users for email certificates
• To carry out the integration with the email client and server, the solution must have the following features:
• Organization of S/MIME certificates by the center
• Support for mobile devices

Choosing the Right PKI Solution for Your Enterprise

Selecting the appropriate PKI automation solution depends on various factors, including:

• Organization size and complexity
• Number and types of certificates required
• Existing infrastructure and integration needs
• Compliance requirements
• Budget constraints
• In-house expertise

Consider these factors carefully when evaluating different PKI automation solutions. It’s also beneficial to request demos or trials from vendors to assess the suitability of their solutions for your specific needs.

Conclusion

Automation has thus become a must, given the fact that PKI remains a key solution that many organizations use in an attempt to manage digital certificates.

Are you ready to put PKI automation to work in your organization? Certera is at your service when it comes to PKI management and will gladly assist in choosing the best solution. Please see our blog to learn how to protect your PKI, automate security, minimize cost, and increase compliance.

Get in touch with us today to schedule your free consultation and become one step closer to making your online presence more secure and future-proofed.