Which Benefits Are Provided By PKI Services?
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Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) provides organizations with a higher level of security than traditional password authentication. It utilizes secure shells to authenticate and validate users on a network, encrypt emails, and digitally sign documents.
PKI has existed for quite a while but remains one of the most effective security tools used by small and large corporations globally. It can be managed on-site or remotely through cloud-based PKI services.
As the risk of cyber breaches is also at an all-time high, companies must take proactive measures to minimize the risk of a cyber invasion. One such step is using PKI to help improve your company’s security.
However, if you’re not yet convinced, here are some essential benefits that can help clear your doubts:
Benefits of PKI Services
- Improved Cloud Security
Cloud computing is a very popular technology, but one thing that’s scared people away from implementing it is security. Cloud storage means giving your confidential information to someone you don’t know to store on a computer you don’t know.
According to a survey in 2022, about 79% of companies experienced some form of a cloud data breach. It’s not in our place to know if all those companies implement PKI, but one thing is for sure, PKIs can help improve the security state of your cloud-based properties.
With cloud based PKI implemented, employees can work remotely, making secure connections to the company’s network infrastructure without worrying about data exposure on public internet networks.
- Encrypted Email Communication
According to studies carried out by security researchers, 90% of security breaches in companies result from phishing attacks. The research also states that the average company loses $1.1 million during a phishing attack.
These stats speak loudly for themselves; social engineering powered by emails is the most efficient way to break into a company’s network infrastructure. If your staffs communicate through an unsecured and unencrypted network, the contents of their messages can be viewed by prying hackers.
However, if you set up PKI, all emails sent and received will be digitally signed, encrypting and branding them with authentic signatures that are indecipherable by hackers. PKI adds an extra layer of protection to your communication links to bolster your overall network security.
- Digital Signatures
PKI provides users with authentic private keys that can be used to encrypt or sign digital documents. These digital signatures encrypt a message and assign it a unique document identifier that helps the receiver identify the message sender.
Documents signed using PKI have the highest security protection any digital document can have. With companies recovering from the Covid-19 Pandemic and remote work still flourishing, your employees will likely be signing a lot of paperwork remotely.
Implementing PKI is the best way to ensure that the documents are safely delivered without external interference. To ensure that the document’s integrity isn’t compromised, PKI requires keys to be generated, transmitted and saved in a secure manner that warrants using a Certificate Authority (CA).
- Government Compliance
Neglecting the fact that PKI is an excellent security tool, companies are also mandated to implement PKI in their companies to improve security. Depending on the safety and importance of your company’s data, you’ll be mandated to implement this tool.
The HIPPA and PCI DSS have specific mandates requiring companies to implement PKI. According to HIPPA, business associates and covered entities must meet specific requirements to process electronic transactions that involve patent data.
In the same vein, the PCI DSS also insists that merchants encrypt the card information of their customers. Simultaneously, the card information would be transmitted over open networks, and the merchant will have absolutely nothing to do with storing sensitive information on servers. So whether you like it or not, PKI is coming for you.
- 5. Highly Automated
Another benefit of PKI services is that they are highly automated. Unlike VPN subscriptions, you’ll need to manage renewals, subscriptions, etc., public key infrastructure serves to manage the lifecycle of certificates.
When a certificate is set to expire, PKIaaS ensures that the old certificate is revoked and a new one is issued and distributed accordingly. PKI won’t renew its subscription on its own and expired operating certificates are one sure way to get breached. Companies have lost millions of dollars due to expired certificates.
However, PKI as a service can help you automate such tasks. With the right provider, you never have to worry about risking your company’s security for expired certificates.
- Boosts Employee Morale
However, employees won’t be very productive with such thoughts ringing through their heads. You can help them by implementing extra security – PKI to help secure their connection to the office network.
Some companies offer PKI training to their employees to ensure they are well-versed in the idea behind PKI. Training your staff to be more security conscious will improve your security at the office and boost their morale as they know they’ve added security.
Conclusion
Hackers don’t seem to be cooling off any time from now; the attack rates will only get worse. The best thing you can do for your company and customers is to ensure that you tick all the security checkboxes you can find. Implementing PKI would surely help a great deal in improving your security infrastructure. Don’t be shy, give it a try!