What is a Certificate Authority?
A certificate authority (CA) is an entity that distributes digital certificates. These certificates cryptographically tie an identity to a public key, ensuring that individuals online are who they say they are.
Certificate authorities play an integral role in operating a PKI and are essential to having a secure network. SecureW2 Cloud PKI service allows you to easily create custom root and intermediate CAs, segment users based on their access levels, and ensure all your applications are only accessible to authorized users. It’s also cheaper than on-premise alternatives as maintaining a cloud PKI costs ⅓ of the price of an on-prem PKI, see what our customers have to say.
There are two kinds of CA’s, Public CAs that issue certificates for anybody, while private CA’s must ensure only a select group of people (or devices) have access. In this article, we will highlight the benefits of a private CA and how to create one for internal use.
Generating Certificate Authorities Without A Service
While it’s possible to create your own certificate authorities without the assistance of a managed certificate authority service, the process can be a bit convoluted. The process is also different depending on the OS you are using. For example, for macOS:
- Open a Command Console
- Enter openssl genrsa -des3 -out myCA.key 2048
- When prompted, enter your passphrase
- Generate a Root CA by entering openssl req -x509 -new -nodes -key myCA.key -sha256 -days 1825 -out myCA.pem
- Enter in answers regarding Name, Location, State, Organization, etc.
After completing the steps, you need to install your Root CA on all devices that access your network. To add the Root CA for a macOS:
- Open the macOS Keychain app
- Go to File > Import Items…
- Select your root certificate file
- Search for whatever your CA name
- Double click on your root certificate in the list
- Expand the Trust section
- Change the When using this certificate: select box to “Always Trust”
- Close the certificate window
- Enter your password
Following these steps for every device can be overwhelming, especially considering the variety of operating systems potentially in use. It also offers no mechanisms for certificate revocation and management. Think of an organization that uses Mac, PC, Linux, iOS, Chrome, etc. All these different systems would need to be manually configured, all in different ways. It simply isn’t a viable solution for larger organizations.
Luckily, SecureW2 offers an alternative solution that you can use to create a private CA in minutes. SecureW2’s system also comes with tons of different management options that can allow you to fully control your network.
Managing your Private CAs and Client Certificates
Using a Managed PKI like SecureW2 makes it incredibly simple to manage your CAs, and the client certificates generated by them. Not only do you get an easy-to-use GUI, but many of the management features required for certificate management are already set up for you.
The automated features that SecureW2 offers make certificate management a breeze. Every CA you generate with SecureW2 automatically generates a Base & Delta Certificate Revocation List (CRL). Every certificate you revoke in the management portal will be appended to the CRL so you can ensure your network stays safe.
SecureW2 also allows you to integrate any SAML/LDAP Identity Provider with your Private CA, which makes it really simple to issue certificates. Create robust policies and issue custom certificate templates based on user groups that already exist in your directory. Our Cloud RADIUS can even perform Identity Lookup with Identity Providers, providing another security measure if you forget to revoke a certificate as well as allowing for user status management in real-time!
Get Started With Your Own Managed Certificate Authority With SecureW2
Having a strong PKI doesn’t have to be as convoluted as you may think. The process is infinitely easier with SecureW2. Our solution allows you to completely customize security for your needs. The ability to create and manage certificate authorities is essential for companies who want to prioritize security. SecureW2 offers affordable options to meet the needs of any organization, click here to inquire about pricing.
