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Stages of the Certificate Lifecycle Explained in Simple Terms
Blog Post from Sectigo
Blog Post Aug 07, 2023Digital certificates ensure secure, encrypted connections between devices, websites and applications. Learn the certificate lifecycle and how to manage it.
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Sectigo and Multipoint Group Join Forces to Enhance Digital Security Solutions for Businesses Worldwide
Blog Post from Sectigo
Blog Post Aug 04, 2023
In an exciting development for the world of cybersecurity, Sectigo, a global leader in automated Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) and digital certificates, has joined hands with Multipoint Group, a leading distributor of IT cyber solutions. This strategic partnership is set to fortify digital security solutions for businesses across the globe, empowering them to take a proactive stance against cyber risks and safeguard their invaluable digital assets.The collaboration between Sectigo and Multipoint Group is a dynamic response to the ever-evolving threat landscape, where cyber adversaries are constantly devising new ways to exploit vulnerabilities. Together, these two powerhouses are committed to providing businesses with a comprehensive suite of cybersecurity solutions that are not only robust and scalable but also capable of nurturing a safe digital environment, fostering the much-needed digital trust.
Sectigo brings its wealth of expertise in automation, certificate lifecycle management, and public/private digital certificates to the table. With a stellar track record of establishing digital trust for businesses worldwide, Sectigo's top-tier CLM platform automates the lifecycle management of all digital certificates. This approach is instrumental in securing digital identities, devices, and transactions, painting a promising picture of enhanced security for the digital realm.
The crux of this partnership lies in its ability to foster innovation on an ongoing basis. Sectigo and Multipoint Group are geared to stay ahead of emerging threats, crafting security solutions that not only adapt to the ever-evolving digital landscapes but also lay a solid foundation of digital trust. This mutual commitment to innovation is poised to provide a powerful shield against the relentless wave of cyber threats.
What's more, Multipoint Group has exciting news to share: the company is all set to make its presence felt at GITEX DUBAI, one of the Middle East's premier technology conferences, scheduled for October 2023. During this event, Multipoint Group will shine a spotlight on its groundbreaking cybersecurity solutions and showcase its collaborative endeavors with Sectigo in tackling global digital security challenges head-on. Visitors to GITEX Dubai can expect to get an up-close look at Sectigo's innovative solutions designed to counter evolving cyber threats.
Jennifer Binet, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Sales at Sectigo, expressed her enthusiasm about this partnership, stating, "We are thrilled to join forces with Multipoint Group and offer businesses a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity. As the usage of digital certificates continues to surge among enterprises, the necessity for a robust and automated certificate lifecycle management solution has never been more pronounced. Our collaboration with Multipoint Group allows us to combine Sectigo's state-of-the-art management platform with Multipoint's advanced cybersecurity distribution services."
Echoing this sentiment, Ricardo Resnik, CEO of Multipoint Group, emphasized, "Our partnership with Sectigo signifies a significant stride forward in our mission to provide cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions. Together, we are empowering businesses to take proactive steps in risk mitigation and securing their digital assets, thus allowing them to channel their energy into fostering growth and innovation."
In essence, the Sectigo and Multipoint Group alliance sets the stage for a new era of enhanced digital security solutions. Their shared commitment to innovation, comprehensive protection, and fostering digital trust holds the promise of a safer and more resilient digital landscape for businesses worldwide. As cyber threats continue to evolve, the collaboration stands strong as a beacon of cybersecurity excellence. Stay tuned for further updates on this dynamic partnership, and be sure to catch the Multipoint Group's compelling showcase at GITEX DUBAI 2023!
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Understanding the Different Types of Certificate Authorities
Blog Post from Sectigo
Blog Post Jul 28, 2023Establishing trust online is a crucial component of collaboration in the digital age. From using a third-party vendor to shopping online to communicating via email, companies and individuals rely on this trust to do business. How can they know they are communicating with the right person and not an actor behind a phishing scheme?
A certificate authority (CA) plays a vital role in making this happen. CAs follow strict industry standards, verify identities, and issue digital certificates. Here is your guide to what a CA is, why it matters, and the different types of CAs available today.
What Is a Certificate Authority (CA)?
Certificates ensure a system is who they say they are, but the system must also be assured that the certificate itself is genuine. This is where trusted third parties come into play. Certificate authorities are independent bodies that issue and vouch for certificates.
As a vital component of the public key infrastructure (PKI), CAs create digital certificates that cryptographically link public keys with the owners’ identities. The CA is responsible for validating the identity of the entity associated with a given public key and issuing the digital certificates that attest to this identity. The CA follows specific protocols to verify the requester's identity before issuing the certificate. This protocol involves checking official documentation or performing a background check.
CAs also have mechanisms for revoking certificates. Revocation happens when a key associated with a certificate is compromised or if the entity that was issued a certificate no longer exists.
Importance of Certificate Authorities
CAs play a crucial role in ensuring internet security. Certificates can secure digital signatures and establish secure network connections via protocols such as HTTPS.
Here are some of the top reasons why CAs are critical in the digital world:
- Establishing trust. CAs provide the foundation of trust on the internet. For example, when users connect to a website, their browser trusts the website if it has a valid certificate issued by a trusted CA. Without this mechanism, it’s hard to establish trust between two parties that have never interacted.
- Verifying identity. Certificate issuance requires verifying the requester’s identity. This ensures that the entity requesting a certificate is who it claims to be.
- Preventing data theft. Secure connections established using certificates help prevent unauthorized data access. When data is sent over a secure connection, encryption makes it unreadable even if bad actors successfully intercept it.
- Protecting against scams. CAs help protect users against phishing attacks and other scams. When users navigate websites, they can be confident the site is legitimate and is not a malicious imitation built to steal personal information if it has a valid certificate.
- Revoking certificates. If a certificate is issued incorrectly or the private key is compromised, the CA can revoke the certificate and prevent further use.
The Different Types of Certificate Authorities
Each type of CA and the certificates they issue offer pros and cons. Organizations need to consider which is best depending on their goals, industry regulations, and the level of trust required.
Below, we separated the types of CAs based on function, authority, products, and hierarchy to more clearly explain the advantages and drawbacks of each type of certificate.
Types by Function
- Domain validated (DV) CAs. DV certificates are simpler and require less rigorous checking. DV CAs issue certificates after validating only the ownership or control over the domain for the requested certificate. DV certificates are usually cheaper and easier to obtain but provide lower trust because they don’t include the identity of the organization that owns the domain.
- Organization validated (OV) CAs. OV CAs go a step beyond DV CAs by verifying organizational details such as name, legal existence, and physical location in addition to domain ownership. OV certificates offer a higher level of trust than DV certificates because they associate the domain with a specific organization. However, they are more expensive and take longer to issue.
- Self-signed CAs. A self-signed certificate is not issued by a recognized CA. Instead, the entity that will be using it generates and signs it, which means there is no external verification of the certificate information. As a result, self-signed certificates are typically not trusted by web browsers or other software, and they generate a warning when users encounter them. While they are useful in testing or internal use cases, they’re not suitable for secure public internet communications.
- Extended validation (EV) CAs. EV certificates require the most stringent verification process. In addition to verifying domain ownership and organizational details, the EV CA verifies the organization's physical and operational existence, the requester’s identity and authority, and the organization’s policy and procedures for requesting an EV certificate. EV certificates have the highest level of trust and are often used by enterprises and financial institutions. While they are the most expensive and time-consuming to obtain, they are valuable for entities that want to establish the highest level of trust with their users.
Types by Authority
- Public CAs. Public CAs, also called root CAs, issue digital certificates for public-facing software and servers, which are used for secure communication on the internet. Public CAs are trusted by browser and operating system vendors, and their root certificates are embedded in web browsers and operating systems. They follow stringent protocols and regulations to verify the entity identity, depending on the type of certificate requested.
- Private/internal CAs. Private or internal CAs are used within an organization to issue certificates for internal use. They are typically not trusted outside the organization.
Types by Product
- Government CAs. Government agencies usually establish government CAs to issue certificates for government entities and, in some cases, citizens and businesses within a country. They often adhere to strict identity validation procedures and policies mandated by relevant government regulations. One example is the U.S. Federal Public Key Infrastructure (FPKI).
- Commercial CAs. Commercial CAs offer certificate services to the public. They provide a variety of certificate types, including DV, OV, and EV certificates, to secure websites, enable secure email communication, authenticate users, and more. Commercial CAs like Sectigo offer robust customer support, various wildcard and multi-domain certificates, and a longer certificate lifespan.
- Open-source CAs. Open-source CAs provide certificates using open-source software and principles. Often, their basic services are free to use, and their underlying software is open-source, which the public can inspect and contribute to. The most notable example is Let’s Encrypt, a nonprofit CA run by the Internet Security Research Group. However, they only offer DV certificates, which have a lower level of trust and typically have a shorter lifespan.
Hierarchy CAs
- Issuing CAs. The authenticity of issuing CAs isn’t directly recognized by an operating system but is instead validated by an intermediate CA. Any certificate provided by issuing CAs is deemed reliable if the intermediate CA can successfully authenticate it.
- Intermediate CAs. Intermediate CAs sit between the root (or public) CA and the issuing CA in a hierarchical PKI. They are issued a certificate by the root CA, and they can then use that certificate to issue certificates to intermediate CAs or end entities directly.
Establishing Trust in the Digital World
Certificate authorities play a fundamental role in establishing the security and integrity of digital communications. They help validate identities, issue digital certificates, and build trust among users and entities. CAs also offer different types of certificates to meet organizational needs and circumstances.
If you need a robust, proven certificate authority to secure your website, authenticate users, and facilitate secure email communications, Sectigo can help. As one of the world’s largest commercial CA, Sectigo offers a variety of certificate types to fit your needs, backed by comprehensive customer support.
Contact Sectigo today and explore our suite of digital certificate solutions.
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What happens when an SSL certificate expires?
Blog Post from Sectigo
Blog Post Jul 24, 2023Expired SSL certificates risk outages, cyberattacks & trust loss. Renew on time with Sectigo tools for secure, automated certificate management.
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Security Risks of Manual Certificate Lifecycle Management
Blog Post from Sectigo
Blog Post Jul 17, 2023Learn the importance of certificate lifecycle management (CLM), the security risks of manual CLM, and how to implement CLM effectively.
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What is a digital certificate?
Blog Post from Sectigo
Blog Post Jul 12, 2023Learn what a digital certificate is, why it’s important, the different types and their use cases, and more. See which digital certificate is right for your organization.
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PKI for Enterprise Businesses: The Why and How
Blog Post from Sectigo
Blog Post Jul 10, 2023Learn what PKI is, its key components, and how it helps enterprise businesses enhance cybersecurity and ensure secure access to data and resources.
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An Overview of Enterprise Certificate Life Cycle Management
Blog Post from Sectigo
Blog Post Jul 07, 2023Learn what CLM is, the various stages in the CLM process, the tools and systems for effective CLM, and how to choose the right platform to optimize ROI.
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Christopher Bray's Decision to Join Sectigo
Blog Post from Sectigo
Blog Post May 31, 2023I am delighted to share that I have recently embarked on a new chapter in my professional journey as the Senior Vice President of Partner and eCommerce Sales at Sectigo. My decision to join Sectigo was driven by their unwavering dedication to fostering online trust as an industry leader in digital security, and the passion of the highly talented, mission-driven teams committed to making the internet a safer place.
Sectigo's unwavering resolve to establish trust in the digital realm deeply resonated with me. In an increasingly interconnected world where online transactions and interactions have become the norm, ensuring secure digital experiences is of paramount importance. Sectigo's focus on digital certificates and Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) positions them as a key player in instilling this much-needed trust. I am honored to be part of an organization that recognizes the significance of this mission and provides a robust foundation of digital trust for prominent global brands.
Sectigo's partner ecosystem holds immense strategic value in our pursuit of category leadership. As the Senior Vice President of Partner and eCommerce Sales, I am excited about the role I will play in nurturing and scaling Sectigo's partner relationships. Strong partnerships are essential in enhancing our reach and scale as a trusted provider of digital security solutions. I firmly believe that by investing in a broad network of partners around the world, we will accelerate Sectigo's growth and success within the industry.
One of the compelling factors that drew me to Sectigo is the company's impressive track record and its ability to deliver tangible results. With nearly two decades of experience in the challenging and results-driven security software space, including leadership roles at distinguished organizations such as Aura, Cylance, Symantec and McAfee I look forward to leveraging my experience in building and scaling these businesses to drive growth at Sectigo. I am thrilled to collaborate with Sectigo's exceptional leadership team, especially CEO Kevin Weiss, who is one of the most respected leaders in the industry. Support and trust from top-level executives who lead with integrity and passion are instrumental in fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and success. I am eager to contribute my expertise and work alongside the team to accelerate and scale Sectigo's partner and eCommerce businesses.
My decision to join Sectigo was guided by their unwavering commitment to establishing digital trust, their strategic focus on building strong partner relationships, and the immense potential for personal and professional growth within the organization. I am honored to be part of the Sectigo family and look forward to working diligently with the exceptional team to drive innovation, expand market presence, and solidify Sectigo's position as a leader in digital security.
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Why I Chose Sectigo
Blog Post from Sectigo
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Avoid Outage and Breach as Certificate Lifespans Shorten
Blog Post from Sectigo
Blog Post Apr 25, 2023Avoiding outages is crucial when it comes to TLS/SSL certificates. Sectigo helps enterprises automate certificate management to establish digital trust.
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Q&A on 90 Day Certificates. You asked – Sectigo Responds!
Blog Post from Sectigo
Blog Post Apr 17, 2023The topic of short-lived 90-day certificates is a major one for the cybersecurity industry.
