Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM)
The Complete Guide to Certificate Lifecycle Management and Its Key Processes
- What is Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) and its importance in secure digital ecosystems?
- What are the stages of certificate lifecycle?
- Who manages TLS/SSL certificates in an organization?
- When do you need certificate management?
- What are the different types of public certificates that need to be managed?
Who manages TLS/SSL certificates in an organization?
The management of TLS/SSL certificates within an organization is typically handled by specialized teams or automated tools to ensure uninterrupted security and operational efficiency.
Key stakeholders include:
- IT Administrators: Oversee certificate deployment on servers, devices, and applications.
- Network Security Teams: Monitor certificates for vulnerabilities and expiration to prevent downtime or breaches.
- PKI Administrators: Handle the technical processes of certificate issuance, renewal, and revocation.
- DevOps Teams: Ensure certificates are properly integrated into development pipelines and cloud infrastructure.
In larger organizations, Certificate Management Systems (CMS) are often used to automate certificate tracking, renewal, and revocation. These tools reduce manual errors and streamline processes, especially in environments with a high volume of certificates.
Failure to properly manage TLS/SSL certificates can lead to expired certificates, resulting in website outages, data breaches, or non-compliance with standards like GDPR or PCI DSS. Industries such as banking, IoT, and healthcare rely on dedicated teams and automated tools to maintain certificate validity and security.