The public key as a counterpart is certified once by a Certificate Authority (CA). This creates a trustworthy chain on the basis of which traceable and tamper-proof authentication is possible. The public key is later used to confirm the identity of the user or device. This ensures that only authorized users and devices can access protected systems.
Benefits of certificate-based authentication
Since there are no passwords, they cannot be forgotten, stolen or manipulated. In addition, employees work faster and more securely because complex authentication processes are no longer necessary. IT departments also benefit from fewer support requests and password resets – meaning they can concentrate on more essential tasks. This not only increases satisfaction, but also saves resources. Last but not least, PKI meets data protection and IT security standards – even beyond the current requirements for access controls and authentication. This ensures that organizations remain on the safe side in the future.
Getting started with PKI: what to do?
But how does the change succeed? First, companies should take stock of their current authentication procedures and check in which areas digital certificates could be used – for example when accessing internal systems, VPN connections and/or sending emails. Then it is important to define requirements:
- For which user groups is authentication relevant?
- What infrastructure is available or needs to be built?
Depending on the initial situation, a staggered rollout is recommended – for example with a pilot project in a particularly security-relevant department. This means that any challenges can be identified and overcome quickly.
Reduce administrative costs with lifecycle management
A common hurdle when introducing PKI is the supposedly high administrative effort. Particularly in larger organizations, it is necessary to continually issue, extend or block certificates – for example when employees join or leave. Without suitable processes, a security risk quickly arises. Lifecycle management solutions automate these tasks and relieve the IT department. They ensure that certificates are always up to date and that former employees do not retain any access options.
Self-service functions increase acceptance
User-friendliness is no less important than legal compliance: Even without passwords, users can lock themselves out, forget PINs and lose tokens, or even a smart card is defective. Modern PKI solutions therefore offer self-service portals through which users can request new certificates or reset PINs themselves – without a helpdesk ticket. This saves resources and increases satisfaction at the same time.
