Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a set of rules, policies, and technologies designed to secure communications between a server (for example, your website) and its clients (the users). It plays a critical role in ensuring that data exchanged between various servers and users is both verifiable and secure. By using encryption, PKI helps safeguard the integrity and confidentiality of information shared online. This makes it an essential component for creating a trusted and secure business environment, where your team can safely communicate and collaborate with people and services. PKI relies on digital certificates for encryption and decryption processes, which confirm the identity of machines and/or users involved in a transaction. This validation ensures the transaction's integrity. In the digital age, as the number of machines connected to the internet increases significantly, ensuring the trustworthiness and security of our information against cyber attacks becomes crucial. Check out the video below to understand how Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) combines hardware, software, policies, processes, and procedures to manage and protect digital certificates and public keys. What is PKI?
Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a comprehensive system that provides the foundation for secure communications and authentication over networks. It is made up of several components, each playing a vital role in safeguarding digital identities and facilitating secure electronic transactions. Digital Certificate Certificate Authority (CA) Registration Authority (RA)Components of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
How These Components Work Together
PKI security refers to the practices and protocols involved in managing Public Key Infrastructure, a system designed to secure digital communication and authenticate the identity of participants within a digital environment. PKI security is pivotal in various aspects of cybersecurity and digital communication, ensuring that sensitive information and transactions are protected from unauthorized access and manipulation. Here's a breakdown of its key aspects: PKI is essential for:What is PKI security?
Dual-Key Encryption System
Encryption and Decryption Processes
Core Benefits of PKI Security
Role in Digital Security
Before going into the specific encryption methods utilized by PKI, it's essential to first understand the distinction between two key terms: public keys and private keys. These are foundational to how encryption functions, employing a pair of keys for secure communication. A public key is accessible to anyone who interacts with a website, allowing them to encrypt messages sent to the site. In contrast, a private key is generated uniquely for each connection and is closely guarded by the recipient. This private key remains confidential. During communication, a client encrypts their message using the website's public key, which can only be decrypted by the corresponding private key held by the server. This dual-key system ensures that the user's data is protected against unauthorized access or alteration. PKI uses the strengths of both asymmetric and symmetric encryption techniques to provide a strong security framework. Asymmetric encryption, which uses a key pair (public and private), is excellent for establishing secure connections and exchanging encryption keys. It's particularly useful for ensuring that data can only be decrypted by the intended recipient. However, asymmetric encryption can be slower due to its complex mathematical computations. On the other hand, symmetric encryption uses a single key for both encryption and decryption, making it faster and more efficient for encrypting large volumes of data once a secure connection has been established. Symmetric encryption secures a unique private key created during the initial interaction between parties— think of this as a digital handshake. This key, essential for encrypting and decrypting the exchanged data, needs to be shared among the involved parties. The key itself might be a password, or possibly a sequence of random letters and numbers produced by a random number generator (RNG). Asymmetric encryption is fairly new, and you may know it better as “public key cryptography.” Asymmetric encryption uses two keys, one public and one private. The public key encrypts and the private key decrypts. It allows you to create a public key for the party who is reporting to you, so that they may encrypt their incoming information, after which you will be able to decrypt the information with a private key. What is the difference between public key and private key?
What type of encryption does PKI use?
1. What is Symmetric Encryption?
2. What is Asymmetric Encryption?
PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) authentication through digital certificates is a highly secure method for safeguarding sensitive electronic information. Each digital certificate is meticulously crafted and personalized, rendering them extremely difficult to forge. When a user receives a unique certificate, it goes through an extensive verification procedure. This procedure encompasses both PKI authentication and authorization, ensuring that the certificate's information is legitimate and the user's identity is accurately represented. These certificates are supported by a robust suite of security measures. This suite includes practices such as time-stamping to record the exact moment of issuance, registration to track the certificate's ownership, and validation to continually confirm the certificate's integrity and authenticity. Together, these processes play a critical role in maintaining the confidentiality of the user's identity and the electronic data associated with the certificate.What is the benefit of providing a public key as a certificate?
PKI Validation is the crucial process within the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) framework that confirms a digital certificate's authenticity and trustworthiness. It ensures that a certificate is genuinely issued by a reputable Certificate Authority (CA) and accurately represents the stated individual or organization. This validation extends from basic domain control checks, as in Domain Validation (DV), to comprehensive assessments like Extended Validation (EV), which delves deep into verifying the legal identity of the certificate holder. Through PKI Validation, users can trust the integrity of secured digital interactions. For public PKI certificates, particularly the TLS/SSL certificates, validation is more than just a technical check. It involves a comprehensive assessment to ensure the identity of the certificate holder is legitimate. Types of PKI ValidationWhat is PKI Validation?
Despite efforts to create a strong foundation of encryption and security measures, secure authentication still cannot be guaranteed. Security breaches can and do occur, highlighting the critical role played by Certificate Authorities (CAs) and Registration Authorities (RAs). CAs and RAs are essential in authenticating and managing public key information. Without the reliable services of a top-performing CA and RA, the concept of a "web of trust" would virtually collapse. These authorities ensure that digital certificates are issued to trustworthy entities, thereby fostering a secure and trustworthy online environment.Does Using PKI guarantee secure authentication?
Organizations of all sizes and industries maintain extensive financial, customer and mission-critical business data. However, when sensitive information is misused or compromised, organizations that don't follow PKI best practices will often pay a heavy price. Recent high-profile security breaches have cost millions in revenue and lost opportunities. These fears, along with new security standards and regulations, have driven IT professionals to deploy encryption more broadly. The problem is that, having done so, the encryption keys used to secure data become the figurative “keys to the kingdom.” The key (and not the data itself) becomes the entity that must be safeguarded. Efforts to manage these keys manually, however, represent a significant security risk and become operationally challenging, especially as encryption is deployed across disparate systems and applications. Organizations are struggling to properly manage and control these rapidly multiplying certificates and keys to prevent security breaches, system downtime and other disasters. It’s a catch 22 situation - but it doesn’t have to be.Why are PKI Best Practices and PKI Management Important?
Before tackling the issue of Enterprise Key and Certificate Management (EKCM), we must examine the underlying challenges:What are common PKI challenges?
A fundamental step in any strategy for managing certificates and private keys is to establish a thorough inventory encompassing all certificates, their locations, and responsible parties. This task is far from trivial due to the diverse deployment of certificates by various individuals and teams. Relying solely on a list from a certificate authority is insufficient. Employing a four-step approach ensures comprehensive coverage: 1. Import from Certificate Authorities: Begin by collating existing information about certificates from known certificate authorities. However, it's risky to assume that importing data solely from these sources will yield an accurate inventory. This step serves as a starting point and should be supplemented by further discovery efforts. 2. Network Discovery: Conduct network discovery processes to identify certificates present on listening ports, such as HTTPS. Start by gathering network address ranges and compile a list of ports to inspect. While initially focusing on port 443 is common, certificates may be encountered on various ports. Tools like TLS Protect Cloud can aid in discovering certificates across the network. 3. Agent-based Discovery: Certain certificates, such as client-side certificates utilized for mutual authentication on SSL, may not be detectable through network ports. Identifying these certificates often requires conducting file system scans on server and client systems using locally-installed agents. 4. Individual Reporting by Administrators: Network and agent-based discovery methods may be time-consuming and impractical to execute in all corporate locations. Therefore, it's imperative to educate administrators and encourage proactive reporting of any certificates they encounter, ensuring their addition to the inventory. Sounds simple! Just remember that performing an inventory is not a one-time event. You should repeat the steps above weekly to ensure the inventory is up to date.What are the 4 steps to start PKI management?
Thorough Planning: During inventory development, establish a correlation of certificate contacts and owners. Preferably, assign groups rather than individuals to minimize single points of failure. Utilize sources like certificate authorities, tracking spreadsheets, and CMDBs. Clearly define responsibilities for maintaining certificate contact information. Certificate Policies and Practices: Implement a central monitoring function to prevent in-service expirations by automatically notifying responsible groups to replace certificates before they expire. Downtime risks are mitigated only when the new certificate is installed and applications are reset to use it before expiration. Send monthly expiration reports to certificate owners listing certificates expiring within 90 days. Individual expiration notifications should be sent if no action is taken on a certificate within 30 days of expiration. Escalate to additional parties if action is not taken within 20 days prior to expiration. At 10 days from expiration, notify a NOC or other corporate group responsible for crisis response until resolution. Certificate Practice Statement (CPS): Establish standardized practices for enrollment and provisioning to enhance reliability, repeatability, security, and compliance with policies, while minimizing administrative load. Approximately 20 or more steps are involved in issuing or renewing a certificate, which must be standardized and implemented in compliance with policy each time. Manual execution of these steps inevitably leads to errors, and ensuring private key security is challenging. Automated certificate enrollment and provisioning methods should be considered. Risk Assessment and Dialogue: EKCM best practices are pivotal for organizational security, aiming to avoid complications, embarrassment, and expenses associated with security compromises. Gain a clear understanding of the risks applicable to your organization. Prioritize them and communicate their importance clearly within the organization to expedite the implementation and adoption of best practices, ensuring all stakeholders understand the implications of non-compliance.What are some best practices for PKI management?
While Public Key Infrastructure has advantages, there remains room for improvement. Currently, PKIs are heavily reliant on the reliability of their associated Certificate Authority and Registration Authority. However, these entities may not consistently operate with the desired level of vigilance and scrutiny. PKI management mistakes are another weak link that needs to be addressed. Another security limitation within current Public Key Infrastructures is the absence of multi-factor authentication in many prominent frameworks. Despite the growing proficiency in breaching passwords, PKIs have been sluggish in addressing this threat by implementing multiple layers of authorization prior to access. Furthermore, the usability of Public Key Infrastructure has consistently fallen short of ideal. Frequently, PKIs are excessively complex, prompting users to opt out of PKI authorization in favor of more convenient and feasible security procedures. Finally, PKI technology is notorious for its struggle to swiftly adapt to the evolving advancements in the digital world. Users express dissatisfaction with their current PKI's incapacity to accommodate new applications aimed at enhancing security, convenience, and scalability.What are the Security Limitations of PKI?
A public key infrastructure is nothing without trust. The chain of trust is a term that refers to the working relationship between different vital components of a PKI, such as the Certificate Authority (CA) and the Registration Authority (RA). Without a trustworthy CA and RA, the PKI is at risk of being compromised. It begins with the Certificate Authority (CA). The CA signs off on a root digital certificate, which is the foundation for all intermediate and server certificates that follow. In other words, the entire chain of trust depends on the Certificate Authority.How is trust determined in PKI?
1. Using outdated security protocols Since the creation of HTTPS by Netscape back in 1994, there have been a lot of changes to the cryptography. HTTPS started with the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) protocol to encrypt communications. Exploits and weaknesses in the protocol mandated something more secure, however, and after widespread adoption of HTTPS, we began migrating from SSL to TLS (Transport Layer Security). Since then, there have been several iterations of TLS protocols, from 1.0 to 1.3 (which is currently a draft). That’s not the only way the security of HTTPS has changed since its inception. Over the past half a dozen years, nearly every protocol or system used to secure HTTPS transmissions has been compromised or outdated. Here are some best practices regarding these protocols: 2. Using keys that are too short In PKI, keys are used to encrypt and decrypt information, so that interlopers can’t steal the data passing between two parties. PKI is asymmetric encryption, which means that there’s a public key and a private key, and what’s encrypted by one key must be decrypted by the other. This setup effectively protects information from prying eyes. That is, if malicious users don’t have a way to get the private key. There are two ways for a hacker to get their hands on a private key: steal it (which we will discuss later) and guess it. Because these keys are just mathematical algorithms, it’s feasible for a hacker with adequate hardware to reverse the algorithm and determine the base values. It’s not easy, but sometimes it’s possible. The difficulty of guessing (i.e., cracking) a given private key is dependent on how long the key is, and how many bits it takes to store the key. The longer and more complicated the key, the harder it is to crack. The problem is, as technology and methods improve, it becomes easier and easier to guess private keys, necessitating an increase in the size and complexity to maintain key security. In 2002, 1024 bit keys were the bare minimum for security. Before the decade was over, that minimum already wasn’t enough. 2048 bit keys are now the standard, but will also be defunct by at least 2030. If you’re using 1024-bit encryption keys your PKI is vulnerable, and you need to upgrade quickly. 3. Using self-issued keys and certificates Normally, keys and certificates (numerical identifiers that prove a website is who they say they are, and not a hacker disguised their system) are obtained from a trusted third party, called a Certificate Authority (or CA). Sometimes, though, an organization might issue its own keys and certificates. The most common reason for this is for testing purposes. Developers will issue themselves a certificate or use a key to test software, intending to replace it later with a more secure one from a certificate authority. It’s a common practice, and it doesn’t cause any harm by itself. The problem arises when those certificates and keys are used externally, and provided to the end user. Once they go into circulation and regular use, they can prove very dangerous, for several reasons. First, test certificates aren’t usually as robust as ones issued by a CA (see our previous section on key length), making them easy to crack, and then fake. Second, they aren’t usually stored securely, either (more on this later). Third, because they’re self-issued, they can be difficult to discover after the fact when you want to address PKI security, leaving you vulnerabilities that hide in your blind spot.What are the most common PKI mistakes?
4. Not storing keys and certificates securely
Now, about the stealing of keys we mentioned. In many cases, it’s easy to just steal the original keys and certificates directly. This is because not every company stores all of their sensitive PKI data securely. Frequently, they’re kept in a spreadsheet in plaintext and stored on a flash drive, normal hard drive, or another easily accessible storage medium, without so much as a Hardware Security Module (HSM) to protect it.
And, unless you have policies in place determining who can obtain keys and certificates, and who has access to them, they’re easy to copy or otherwise smuggle out. With something as valuable as keys and certificates, you’re facing both internal and external theft, and either threat can do serious damage.
If a malicious user gets their hands on that PKI information, they can easily steal sensitive information from other users when they go to the website, or they can trick people into downloading malware by making their browser think the company made the software. It puts the customers at risk and can severely damage a company’s reputation.
5. Not rotating PKI certificates and keys frequently
If you’re worried someone has stolen your password, it’s a good idea to change it. If you want to ensure the security of your login, you’ll change it regularly regardless. The same goes for certificates and keys. Changing them frequently helps to counteract their theft or cracking, meaning that even if a hacker has gotten access to them, what they have will be outdated soon.
It’s a common practice to rotate certificates. CAs often enforce it by setting an expiration date for certificates, so that they have to be renewed every so often. Many companies only renew them when they have to, though, which is not nearly as frequently as they should. To achieve optimal security, certificates should be changed out in intervals less than six months long.
Even if certificates are being switched out, very few will similarly rotate their keys. Keys don’t have expiration dates, like certificates, so their replacing is not enforced. The problem with this is that if a hacker has the key, the certificate is somewhat irrelevant—they can build their own certificate and successfully fool devices into thinking the hacker is the actual website that they stole the key from. Changing keys regularly can prevent this, but it’s a best practice that’s not often followed.
6. Not using an automation tool
Automation, in any application, is intended to improve efficiency and decrease human error. It’s no different in PKI management. Automation can help you renew your certificates and keys. It can also track, and store data related to them, like how many keys and certificates you have, what they are, who requested them and for what purpose, who has access to them and when they use that access, and more.
Best of all, automation limits how many times an actual human must interact with the keys and certificates, cutting down on human error. The problem is that very few organizations use this automation in their PKI management. That may be because they don’t know what it is, or what it can be used for, or because they don’t think it will be necessary. The fallback option is to have a human run the system, and that tends to result in defaulting to unsecured and unreliable practices.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) cryptography relies heavily on PKI security to encrypt and decrypt a public key exchange using both symmetric and asymmetric encryption. How does PKI work with an SSL? Excellent question. We can sum up the relationship in three phases: Once the digital relationship has been established, the web browser and the web server are able to exchange encrypted information across a secure channel. The Public Key Infrastructure acts as the framework and facilitator for the encryption, decryption, and exchange of information between the two parties.Does SSL Use PKI?
The role of PKIs doesn't stop at internet traffic. They're also the linchpin for a host of other digital security measures: Additionally, PKIs are integral to various everyday applications:Modern Use Cases for PKI Implementation
Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) has a fascinating history dating back to the 1970s when Whitfield Diffie and Martin Hellman first introduced the concept of public-key cryptography. This revolutionary idea paved the way for secure digital communication, as it allowed for the creation of asymmetric encryption systems, where data encrypted with a public key could only be decrypted with a corresponding private key. The subsequent development of the RSA algorithm by Ron Rivest, Adi Shamir, and Leonard Adleman in the late 1970s further solidified the foundation of PKI. RSA, named after its inventors' initials, became a widely used method for secure key exchange and digital signature verification, setting the stage for the modern PKI infrastructure. Fast forward to today's digital age, and PKI remains at the forefront of cybersecurity. Its importance cannot be overstated. Here are several reasons why PKI continues to play a pivotal role in securing our digital world: Secure Data Transmission: PKI ensures secure and confidential data transmission over networks. It underpins technologies like HTTPS, which encrypts data during transmission, protecting sensitive information such as credit card details and personal messages. Authentication and Identity Verification: PKI is the backbone of digital identity verification. Digital certificates issued by trusted Certificate Authorities (CAs) confirm the authenticity of websites, email senders, and digital documents, reducing the risk of impersonation and fraud. Data Integrity: PKI guarantees data integrity by allowing recipients to verify that information has not been tampered with during transit. This is essential for critical operations like financial transactions and healthcare records. Digital Signatures: PKI enables the creation of digital signatures, which are equivalent to handwritten signatures in the digital world. They are used for document validation, contract signing, and legal agreements. Cloud and PKI-as-a-Service (PKIaaS): The advent of cloud computing has expanded PKI's reach. Cloud PKI services offer scalable, cost-effective solutions for organizations to manage their PKI infrastructure. They provide secure key storage, certificate issuance, and revocation services in the cloud, reducing the burden on in-house IT teams. Quantum-Resistant Cryptography: As quantum computing advances, PKI is adapting to ensure resistance against quantum attacks. This future-proofs PKI for the potential challenges posed by quantum computers. Compliance and Regulations: Various regulations and standards, such as GDPR and HIPAA, require the use of PKI for secure data handling and privacy compliance. PKI helps organizations meet these legal obligations. In the modern digital landscape, PKI is not just a technology; it's a cornerstone of trust and security. Its evolution to include PKI-as-a-Service and cloud-based solutions reflects its adaptability to meet the ever-growing demands of a digitally connected world. As businesses and individuals continue to rely on secure digital interactions, PKI remains an essential tool in safeguarding data, privacy, and online trust. PKI is crucial for high security situations. With digital signing, along with public and private cryptographic keys, PKI provides trust that can be used to secure a variety of applications. Say that you are transmitting data from a Mac workstation to a Mac server. How do you know that you are in fact transmitting your data to a server and not a hoax? Digital certificates prove the integrity and identification of both parties. They help verify that a particular public key belongs to a certain entity. If the certificate was issued by a source the server knows and trusts, then the server will accept the certificate as proof of identity. It’s like the TSA officer verifying the validity of your driver’s license or passport authorized by the government. You might be wondering what PKI security looks like in your day to day life. PKI security is used in many ways, but primarily it is used for: The zero-trust architecture paradigm is increasingly being integrated into Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) frameworks, reshaping the way organizations approach digital trust and security. At its core, zero-trust operates on the principle of "never trust, always verify," which contrasts with traditional PKI models that inherently trust certain components or entities within the system. In a zero-trust PKI, every request, regardless of its origin—whether from inside or outside the organization—is treated as potentially hostile until validated. This necessitates rigorous authentication and continuous verification processes for every digital certificate and cryptographic key. Such an approach dramatically minimizes the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches, as trust is not granted based on network location or previously granted permissions. Instead, trust must be earned and re-earned consistently, ensuring a robust security stance in an ever-evolving cyber threat landscape. Venafi Zero Trust PKI integrates PKI with zero-trust architecture for a truly modern PKI solution.What is PKI's history, and why is it crucial to cybersecurity in today's digital world?
Historical Origins:
Today’s Digital Age and PKI:
Zero-Trust Architecture in PKI
PKI (Public Key Infrastructure): The framework of hardware, software, policies, processes, and procedures used to create, manage, distribute, use, store, and revoke digital certificates and public keys. Digital Certificate: A digital document issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) that binds a user's or entity's identity to their public key, verifying their authenticity. Public Key: Part of a key pair used in asymmetric cryptography; it is shared publicly for encryption and verification purposes. Private Key: The complementary key to the public key in an asymmetric key pair; it is kept secret and used for decryption and signing. Asymmetric Encryption: A cryptographic system that uses a pair of public and private keys for secure communication and digital signatures. Certificate Authority (CA): A trusted entity that issues digital certificates and vouches for the identity of certificate holders. Digital Signature: A cryptographic technique that verifies the authenticity and integrity of digital messages or documents. Encryption: The process of converting plaintext into ciphertext to protect data during transmission or storage. Decryption: The process of converting ciphertext back into plaintext using a private key. Chain of Trust: A hierarchical structure of CAs and digital certificates that establishes trust in the authenticity of certificates. Revocation: The process of invalidating a digital certificate before its expiration date. Root Certificate: The top-level certificate in a PKI hierarchy that is self-signed and trusted by default. Intermediate Certificate: A certificate used by a CA to sign end-entity certificates, creating a certificate chain. PKIaaS (PKI as a Service): Cloud-based services that provide PKI infrastructure and certificate management. HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure): A secure version of HTTP that uses PKI to encrypt data exchanged between a web server and a web browser. Quantum-Resistant Cryptography: Cryptographic algorithms designed to withstand attacks by quantum computers. SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security): Protocols that use PKI to secure communications over the internet. Key Management: Practices and procedures for generating, storing, distributing, and disposing of cryptographic keys securely.Public Key Infrastructure Glossary
Let’s recap. PKI authentication (or public key infrastructure) is a framework for two-key asymmetric encryption and decryption of confidential electronic data. By way of digital certificate authorization, management, and authentication, a PKI can secure private data that is exchanged between several parties, which can take the form of people, servers, and systems.What Is PKI Authentication?
Ready to take charge of your PKI? PKI safeguards sensitive data and verifies identities, growing ever more important as devices and apps multiply. For enterprises, implementing PKI is just the beginning; managing millions of digital certificates poses a significant challenge. Ready for help? Venafi Zero Touch PKI replaces your legacy PKI with a fast, modern, hands-free solution that eliminates the need for dedicated staff, servers, hardware, and expensive security monitoring. Zero Touch PKI Start nowGet Fast, Simple, SaaS-Based Private PKI With Venafi!
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