Technology has dramatically impacted business operations, and most businesses rely heavily on it. Whether you operate as a small startup or a big corporation, your operations will probably depend on computer networks, cloud services, mobile apps, and websites.
As more processes and information are moved online, strong security is required. A managed public critical infrastructure, or PKI, must protect your digital ecosystem.
Managed PKI offers centralized certificate management and automation that simplifies your time security processes while keeping your business as secure as possible. The article discusses eight crucial security features that a quality-managed PKI solution must have.
1. Centralized Certificate Administration
A managed PKI handles all certificate requests, issuances, and lifecycle functions through a single online portal. This eliminates the need to use separate tools or manually install certificates on each device and server.
As your administrator, a Managed PKI gives you complete control and visibility into every certificate used across your environment. The centralized dashboard lets you instantly see all certificate details, statuses, and expiration dates. This centralized view provides complete transparency and control over your PKI in one place.
The portal makes administration simple. You can quickly and easily enroll new certificates when deploying new systems. Employee certificates are seamlessly issued upon hiring. With all functions centralized, you save time previously spent switching between different consoles and tools.
2. Automated Lifecycle Management
Beyond just centralizing where certificates are managed, a managed PKI fully automates the entire lifecycle process. When new certificates are needed, the system automatically provisions them during the deployment of new assets.
As expiration dates approach, renewal is handled in the background without downtime. You receive alerts on pending actions, but the PKI takes care of completion automatically.
Should issues like compromised certificates occur, revocation happens instantly without manual steps. This level of automation ensures your certificates and digital environment remain secure even without constant hands-on attention.
3. Multi-layered security with Built-in Controls
In addition to simplifying administration, a managed PKI incorporates strong security controls. Multi-factor authentication is required to access the portal and restricts access based on user roles.
Comprehensive audit logs and reports document all certificate management activities. This provides a detailed historical trail for compliance and forensic purposes.
Independent security assessments also help ensure the highest protection. Regular vulnerability testing and remediation by external evaluators keep systems up-to-date. Physical hardware is housed in secure data centers protected by biometric access controls and video surveillance.
4. Automated Disaster Recovery
Even with the most robust preventative security, unplanned outages or natural disasters remain a reality. However, a managed PKI is built with automatic failover and redundancy to eliminate disruption.
Certificates and private critical data are replicated across multiple geographically dispersed data centers. Should any primary systems fail, secondary environments instantly take over to maintain continuity.
Comprehensive disaster recovery planning and regular drills ensure a smooth transition. You can have confidence knowing your PKI infrastructure is resilient and downtime-proof. Certificate services will remain available regardless of internal or external factors.
5. Continuous Monitoring with Real-Time Visibility
Beyond just securing the PKI infrastructure, a managed provider also offers 24/7 monitoring of your certificate environment. Advanced security tools give you real-time visibility into how certificates are used across all your systems.
Detailed logs and alerts help uncover any unauthorized activity or abnormal behavior. Automated reports deliver a complete audit trail of all certificate management functions.
This level of transparency helps identify and address security events proactively. Any misconfigurations, compromised credentials, or attempted intrusions are instantly detectable. Issues can be resolved before escalating into more significant breaches.
6. Automated Device Provisioning
Configuring certificates can introduce security gaps when deploying new servers, applications, or devices. A managed PKI streamlines onboarding through automated provisioning.
The correct certificates are seamlessly issued, installed, and trusted during deployment with no configuration effort. This applies whether assets are physical, virtual, or cloud-based.
Scripts and templates standardize certificate requests according to your organization’s requirements. Settings like key size, usage periods, and extensions are predefined for one-click deployment.
Complex enrollment processes happen behind the scenes without manual steps. New systems join your environment already securely configured from the start.
7. Automated Encryption Integration
A managed PKI also seamlessly integrates with encryption solutions. The correct certificates are automatically configured for optimal encryption during new system provisioning.
Private keys are securely stored and escrowed according to your security policies. This removes manual steps that could introduce mistakes when setting up encryption on servers or applications.
Integration with web servers, email servers, firewalls, and other infrastructure ensures one-click certificate-based encryption. Proper certificate chaining and trust relationships are handled behind the scenes.
You avoid time-consuming testing and troubleshooting of encryption setups. With this level of automated integration, deploying encryption protocols is effortless. Security and usability are maximized from the start.
8. 24/7 Expert Support for Maximum Uptime
Even with extensive automation, issues requiring skilled professional troubleshooting could still occur. A managed PKI provider offers 24/7 support from security experts. Teams of engineers constantly monitor systems and are ready to respond immediately.
Direct access is provided to professionals who can quickly diagnose and resolve certificate or infrastructure-related incidents.
Outsourcing daily management to security vendors takes the administrative burden off your team. You gain access to a higher level of support than maintaining an in-house PKI.
Conclusion
Network and information security is paramount in the modern world. As reliance on technology grows, properly securing your infrastructure becomes more critical.
A managed PKI provides centralized administration that streamlines certificate management according to the industry’s highest standards. Automation handles daily tasks while built-in controls maintain robust protection.
Outsourcing to security experts removes the administrative burden and ensures optimal uptime. A managed PKI is essential for establishing and maintaining trust across your expanding digital operations.
