The new reality of PKI: how to adapt to 90-day certificates with CyberArk

The world of digital security is on the verge of significant changes. Google has announced its intention to reduce the maximum validity period of public SSL/TLS certificates from 398 to 90 days. This decision aims to improve cyber resilience, but it creates new challenges for IT teams.

Why is it called the “47-Day Era”?

Although officially the term is 90 days, in practice, the renewal window is much smaller. To avoid emergency situations and service disruptions, organizations are forced to start the renewal process well in advance.

For companies managing thousands of machine identities manually, this means shifting from periodic checks to a state of constant emergency. Traditional methods of managing PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) via spreadsheets simply no longer work.

Comparison of certificate management approaches

Changes in certificate lifecycle policy require a paradigm shift. Let's look at the key differences between manual management and an automated approach.

Manual management (Risks)

• High probability of errors: The human factor when renewing thousands of certificates inevitably leads to failures.
• Invisible threats: It is difficult to track all certificates, especially in cloud and hybrid environments.
• Resource-intensive: IT specialists spend hours on routine tasks instead of strategic projects.
• Risk of downtime: Missing the renewal deadline for just one certificate can stop business processes.

Automation with CyberArk (Solution)

• Complete visibility: Automatic discovery of all certificates across the infrastructure.
• Continuity: Renewal occurs without human intervention before the critical deadline expires.
• Crypto-agility: Rapid replacement of encryption algorithms when new threats emerge.
• Reduced workload: Freeing up security team resources for more important tasks.

CyberArk Machine Identity Security solution

CyberArk offers a comprehensive approach to managing machine identities. The platform allows you to centralize the management of certificates, keys, and secrets, ensuring security at enterprise standards.

Automating the certificate lifecycle is not just a convenience, but a necessity given the shortening validity periods. It is the only way to guarantee that your organization will be ready for the new requirements of regulators and browsers.

Why Softprom?

Softprom is an official distributor of CyberArk. We have deep expertise in cybersecurity issues and help companies implement solutions to protect privileged users and machine identities.

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