Enterprise processes need to leverage digital systems to operate,
especially as more and more devices are becoming connected—and, every
connected system needs a certificate to operate security. Administrators
have to be able to ensure that there are no unwanted certificates, and
handling the processes manually often is not feasible. Specialized
management systems help track certificates, notify when certificates are
expired/close to expiration, identify unknown certificates, and promote
better-more secure communication across an organization’s networks.
Additionally, some of the most damaging security breaches in history
were either the result of expired certificates, or were further
exacerbated by expired certificates. For example, a 2017 breach of
Equifax credit reporting agency went undiscovered for nearly three
months, because an expired certificate was preventing proper inspection
of network traffic. This compromised the personal information of 147
million people. And Equifax isn’t alone; LinkedIn, Microsoft, Ericsson,
and most recently, Google Voice have all suffered by failing to update
certificates.
Expired certificates have the potential to either cause unplanned
system outages, or to open holes in your digital security through which
threat actors can gain access to your network. This can easily lead to
disrupted service, reputational damage, exposure of sensitive
organizational and customer data, and steep fines and penalties for
those businesses who allow their certificates to lapse.
Renewing certificates before they expire is absolutely essential. But
with potentially thousands of certificates in play, businesses face the
almost insurmountable task of upgrading and renewing certificates with
multiple CAs while adhering to pre-planned maintenance windows to
prevent interrupting vital services. Perhaps even more problematic is
that the certificates themselves lack vital context to help
organizations prioritize critical certificates, identify service owners,
or even determine which certificates are in need of renewal.