Designing a solid enterprise PKI from scratch is no small feat. It’s complex, high-risk, and demands expert know-how. Things get trickier when the person in charge doesn’t have the right tools or knowledge to navigate the challenges that come with PKI, from certificate management to encryption and protocols.
But don’t worry, we’ve got your back!
We’ve put together this quick guide to help you spot the 5 easy mistakes you might make when designing your PKI.
Gotcha 1: Ignoring Long-Term Scalability
Keyfactor’s 2024 PKI & Digital Trust Report revealed a striking stat: 98% of organizations would rebuild their PKI if they had the chance. Why? Most PKIs are built with a “quick fix” mindset—solving immediate issues in an ad hoc manner. It works at first, but as the ecosystem grows, chaos ensues, and in no time you have an overwhelming tangle of certificates that are hard to manage, track, or secure.
Many teams fall into the trap of thinking only about present needs. Spreadsheets to track certificates? Sure. Ad hoc issuance methods? Why not? However, manual processes don’t scale. According to the Global PKI, IoT, and Post-Quantum Cryptography Study, half of organizations still manage their PKI manually. That might cut it for small setups, but as certificates, users, and devices multiply, the cracks begin to show—errors, misconfigurations, missed expirations, etc.
The Solution
Implement a centralized, automated, and scalable enterprise PKI solution like EJBCA enterprise to do the heavy lifting—issuing, renewing, revoking, and monitoring certificates automatically. With one platform to manage everything, you can avoid certificate chaos, prevent missed expirations, and scale seamlessly as your organization grows. Solutions like EJBCA aren’t just nice to have, they’re a foolproof way to ensure your PKI keeps pace with your business.
Gotcha 2: Overlooking Secure Key Storage
Keeping your private signing key safe is the heart of PKI security. Sure, the certificate transmission process needs to be secure, but protecting that private key is also critical.
The problem is that most PKI setups aren’t exactly built like a fortress. Ideally, you’d have physical security, TEMPEST shielding, and airtight protections. But in reality, private keys often sit on employee workstations or servers with multiple functions, making them prime targets for hackers.
As organizations scale, things get even messier. The number of private keys skyrockets, and poor storage practices become a ticking time bomb. Mismanaged keys can, therefore, lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, compromised certificates, and a big hit to digital trust.
The Solution
To mitigate these risks, create strong key management practices. Start by using secure vaults to encrypt your private keys and control who has access. Don’t stop there—leverage Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), which provide tamper-proof environments to protect your keys from both physical and digital threats while easily integrating with your PKI and cryptographic systems.
Gotcha 3: Lack of Governance and Ownership
At the startup stage, managing certificates is straightforward—fewer teams, fewer certificates, and streamlined communication. Everyone pitches in, keeping things running without much hassle. But as the organization grows, things start to get complex. Different departments begin deploying certificates independently, leading to fragmented management.
Moreover, DevOps teams, known for their speed, might deploy certificates without considering the bigger PKI picture. This quick pace can leave documentation and oversight in the dust, making misconfigurations, expired certificates, and security gaps all too common.
The Solution
Set up a solid enterprise PKI governance framework. Standardize PKI policies across the organization for consistent lifecycle management. Use tools like Keyfactor Command to document all PKI activities, ensuring compliance and making incident response easier. Assign clear roles and responsibilities within IT security to boost collaboration and eliminate redundancies. This way, everyone stays on the same page, and security stays intact.
Gotcha 4: Underestimating Expertise Requirements
One of the biggest mistakes when deploying enterprise PKI is underestimating the human expertise required to manage it effectively. According to a Keyfactor study, only 38% of organizations have enough staff dedicated to PKI, and around 45% of unplanned PKI failures are due to inexperienced staff.
Managing PKI isn’t a walk in the park. It requires deep knowledge of cryptography, encryption algorithms, and proper configuration practices. Without this expertise, you’re looking at weak encryption, configuration flaws, and security vulnerabilities that could compromise your entire system.
The Solution
Bring in managed enterprise PKI services, including both consultants and PKIaaS solutions. These third-party services have the know-how to set up and secure your PKI system while avoiding common pitfalls. They’ll implement best practices, including the right cryptographic algorithms, secure protocols, and certificate policies that meet industry standards. Plus, they’ll guide your internal teams to ensure everyone’s on the same page, minimizing errors and keeping things standardized. And as an added bonus, they’ll help future-proof your PKI against emerging threats like quantum computing, supply chain attacks, and shrinking validity periods.
Gotcha 5: Failure to Plan for Certificate Lifecycle
One common PKI mistake is failing to plan ahead for managing the entire certificate lifecycle. Over time, if the system isn’t structured well, it’s easy to lose track of issued certificates, their expiry dates, and where they’re stored. Many organizations don’t even realize how many certificates they have or when they’re set to expire. This results in failed audits, misused certificates, and security risks.
The Solution
To fix this, use certificate lifecycle management tools. Systems like these keep tabs on expiration dates, send alerts ahead of time, and can even renew or replace certificates before they expire. Don’t forget to establish clear policies for certificate lifecycle management to avoid security gaps. Then, document workflows for certificate issuance, renewal, revocation, and replacement to ensure everything stays on track.
Conclusion
Designing your first enterprise PKI is tricky, but avoiding these 5 common pitfalls can make all the difference between designing a secure, scalable system and a costly, inefficient one. Remember to emphasize crypto agility. The ability to adapt to new cryptographic practices as technology evolves will save you time, reduce risks, and help you build a strong, flexible foundation for the future.
