Digital certificates play a critical role in maintaining identity-based security. Managing the certificate lifecycle, including revocation (Certificate Revoked), is crucial to preventing security vulnerabilities and breaches.
Why is this important? Think of a digital certificate as a key that keeps our online security door firmly closed. If the key is broken or falls into the wrong hands, we must immediately replace it to prevent security risks. This is why SSL Certificate Revoked is so important: to ensure that security risks and breaches can be prevented before they occur. Let's take a look at the full details..
What is the function of certificate revocation?
Certificate revocation serves as a security measure when an SSL/TLS certificate is compromised. When signs of trouble are detected, a digital certificate should be revoked to prevent unauthorized users from impersonating an entity or exploiting a compromised certificate.
Individually, this ensures that each certificate is able to perform its primary function: establishing a secure connection and ultimately, providing greater peace of mind. The ability to revoke is also important on a larger scale, as it plays a role in broader risk management efforts and can increase trust between web servers, browsers, and other parties.
When should a certificate be revoked?
Certificate revocation is very common, and it is not uncommon for certificate holders to take this step at some point. Here are the main reasons why SSL certificates are revoked:
1. Key compromise
One of the main issues that triggers a revocation is signs that the private key for the certificate has been stolen or compromised. This can happen due to poor key management, weak encryption, or a number of other issues — but when it does happen, immediate certificate revocation is critical.
2. Misrelief
Digital certificates are designed to verify the identity of the certificate holder. If the identity is not properly verified by a Certificate Authority (CA), there is a chance that the entity that issued the certificate could be a fraud. In some situations, cybercriminals have managed to obtain certificates through phishing and other malicious activities.
While working with a highly respected CA can limit the potential for this kind of issue, it is also important to have a revocation option available so that, in the worst case scenario, a fraudulently issued certificate can be revoked immediately.
3. Domain Ownership Change
Certificate revocation is not always purely reactionary. It can also occur in response to a change in domain ownership, with the goal of preventing potential abuse by the new domain owner. In these situations, revocation is also justified due to the possible lack of trust that can arise if the authenticity of the certificate is questioned.
4. Cyberattacks
In the case of malware or other cyberattacks, prompt revocation is essential. Otherwise, the compromised certificate could be implicated in the further spread of malware.
Certificate revocation is a critical step in maintaining digital security, ensuring that SSL certificates are trusted and not misused by unauthorized parties.
What is a Certificate Revocation List (CRL)?
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| What is a Certificate Revocation List |
A Certificate Revocation List (CRL) is a record of digital certificates that have been revoked. The list is created and signed by a Certificate Authority, and provides a simple way to indicate which certificates are no longer valid and should not be trusted.
A CRL entry may include the certificate’s serial number, along with details about the revocation date and the issuing CA. This data is then posted to various distribution sites to ensure its accessibility, so that those who rely on this information can easily download and store this resource. The CRL should be updated regularly to ensure that the details about revoked certificates are accurate.
What is the Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP)?
The Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) allows for real-time certificate status checking, where web browsers and other entities can send requests to an OCSP server for information about the revocation status of a certificate. This helps fill the gap of the CRL, as the list is updated periodically rather than in real-time.
The OCSP process begins with a client making a request to an OCSP responder, which may be operated directly by the CA in question. Upon receiving this OCSP request, the responder immediately checks the status of the certificate in question.
The resulting response should immediately reveal whether the certificate is still valid or has been revoked. The client can then take action based on this response or proceed to check the CRL and get additional secure details.
How browsers handle revoked certificates?
When web browsers encounter an SSL/TLS certificate, they perform several checks to ensure its validity. This includes verifying the digital signature on the certificate, ensuring the certificate is within its validity period, and then performing a certificate revocation status check.
To complete these checks, browsers use either the CRL or OCSP. If both of these solutions indicate that the certificate has not been revoked, then the connection can proceed. However, if they indicate that the certificate has been revoked, a warning will be displayed to protect the potentially compromised user. In some situations, the connection can even be prevented altogether. If the user is able to proceed, they could be at significant security risk.
How to reissue an SSL certificate?
Revocation is only one part of the broader certificate lifecycle, which also includes several other steps: issuance, usage and monitoring, expiration, and renewal. When revocation is required, a plan needs to be in place to ensure that there are still valid digital certificates that cover the certificate properly. Typically this is done by creating a new certificate, where a request is made to the CA and the identity of the person or entity requesting the new certificate is verified.
During this process, additional checks may be required to ensure that the affected certificate has been properly revoked. Additionally, the CA may conduct a thorough review to determine the circumstances surrounding the previous revocation. This is essential to support a legitimate request for a new certificate.
As with a regular renewal process, validation is essential, including reviewing domain ownership and other details. The new certificate can then be properly issued, installed, and configured. Certificate revocation plays a crucial role in enhancing digital security. It is one component of a complex suite of digital certificate solutions that can be covered by Public Key Management (PKI).
The goal is to simplify all aspects of certificate lifecycle management to improve efficiency and security. We also provide highly trusted SSL/TLS certificates, which are essential for authenticating identities and keeping connections secure.
