The SSL issues

The Importance of Validations (& the delays it can cause)

[1] In a correctly run and operated CA [2], a team of trained RA Administrators manually check and verify every request for an SSL Certificate [3] following an internationally recognised practice known as validations [4].

For expedience and to save on cost, some CAs [2] have automated the Validation process so that the CA can deliver its Certificates cheaply and without the need for manual Validations. The Certificates are delivered quickly, but an automated Validations process is flawed and can undermine the integrity and values of the SSL it issues.

Regardless of how you request an SSL Certificate [3], the RA should validate the request and then issue the Certificate to you. Automated Certificate issuance from a CA is only one part of the overall Certificate life cycle and what it saves in expedience, it looses in security. Digi-Sign would only recommend using automated SSL Certificates for very specific, closed environments where Certificate integrity is easily controlled. For reputable and reliable providers, you should use vendors like VeriSign® or Digi-Sign to ensure your SSL Certificates are correctly validated and have internationally recognised integrity.

Important Note: Automated SSL Certificate delivery from a CA should not be confused with ‘automated life cycle management’ that occurs inside your organisation once you receive the SSL(s) from the CA.

SSL Requests & Delivery Delays

The important and separated function of the Validation process is never expedited and can take the RA several days to complete. There are considerable variations in time between the validation for one SSL Certificate and another. So the specific time that the RA will take to validate an SSL request from the CA can result in unexpected delays that further frustrate the process of actually getting your SSL Certificate.

The Business Case

Any network where information is stored electronically needs to be secured and a single unsecured transaction could result in significant losses to your organisation. This makes a strong argument for using SSL/TLS Certificates because they remove this risk.

Two-factor authentication, Machine Readable Travel Documents [MRTD [5] ] systems, national ID card systems, web access control, e Passports [6], device-to-device authentication and two factor authentication [7], all require the use of SSL Certificates. Integral to all of these environments is the requirement for digital authentication, digital identification, digital encryption, digital stamping and/or digital signing and being able to support these transactions with a legally binding infrastructure. The SSL Certificates is a basic component in each of these environments and its presence is central to their correct performance.