SSL certificate management describes a system for managing digital certificates through their entire lifecycle, from acquisition to expiration. Over the years, a number of systems have emerged for automatically managing SSL certificates, but many organizations are still reliant on manual processes.
While automated solutions that can oversee the entire certificate lifecycle are now available, some companies have been slow to capitalize on this capability, and thus find themselves overseeing a labyrinth of spreadsheets, post-it notes, and file hierarchies controlling certificates for multiple domains and subdomains.
It goes without saying that certificate management is a critical part of a company’s digital defences: expired or weakly hashed certificates are an invitation to hackers, while the absence of an SSL lock on your website will prompt browser warnings and prompt customers to steer clear.
Why SSL certificates are so precious
An SSL or public key certificate is used to verify ownership of a public key. Your business will manage at least one and potentially hundreds of websites, including subdomains, and each has an SSL certificate attesting to data sent to and received from the site being encrypted.
While most web users don’t peer too closely at the SSL information that appears in their browser, when the green padlock icon is clicked, it reveals a wealth of information. Most web browsers will display details pertaining to the type of public key used, the cryptographic algorithm, the identity of the site owner, and the digital signature denoting its validity.
But locking down your domains with SSL isn’t enough: it’s only the beginning, and must be followed by a rigorous certificate management process. Keeping track of your SSL certificates is vital in order to prevent certificate expiration, which can happen all too easily when you’re tasked with monitoring dozens or even hundreds of domains. Given that the costs of a single certificate lapsing can be prohibitively high, be it through website downtime or a devastating cyber breach, constant vigilance is required. No wonder that SSL/TLS certificate management tools have gained traction as a means of automating the process and preventing the unthinkable from happening.
How SSL/TLS certificate management tools work
Automated certificate management solutions are available for all lifecycle stages and are equally important:
- SSL/TLS discovery tool for deep networks scan to detect all certificates in internal and external environments.
- Certificate inventory to unite all certificates notwithstanding the certificate authority under one roof.
- Analytics and reporting tools to track system health and monitor the most critical PKI indicators. Potential issues and vulnerabilities, such as weak encryption standards, are identified, allowing remedial action to be taken.
- Certificate-related tools to automate routine associated with verifying certificates’ info with decoders and generators
- Also, team collaboration feature is crucial to keep everyone involved with the process in the loop.
This, in a nutshell, is what Keyhub does. A cloud-based solution for full lifecycle management of SSL certificates, Keyhub turns an arduous chore into a painless process, while eliminating the risk of certificate expiry. Using Keyhub, organizations can scan their networks and gain a 360º view of their certificates via a single dashboard.
Keyhub takes the guesswork out of certificate management, giving businesses the peace of mind that comes from knowing its domains are secure and being monitored 24/7. It’s not just about boosting security though: using an automated certificate management tool saves time and operational costs, allowing human resources to be more efficiently allocated. With the right tools in place, SSL management goes from being a chore to a breeze.
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