Offline Root CA made easy

Abstract

This blog explores the implementation of a air-gaped offline Certificate Authority (CA) on a portable Operating System (OS) residing on a USB stick, with its secret key securely stored on a Hardware Security Module (HSM), here a YubiHSM2. The combination of a portable operating system and HSM offers enhanced security and flexibility for managing off-line Root CAs, making it suitable for various use cases, including remote and air-gaped environments.

Introduction

Certificate Authorities play a crucial role in establishing and maintaining trust in digital communications by issuing and managing digital certificates. However, traditional Root CA implementations often rely on centralized servers, which can be vulnerable to security breaches and require continuous network connectivity. To address these challenges, Link2Trust proposes its novel approach, “CA-on-a-stick”, where the Root CA functionality is encapsulated within a portable OS running on a USB stick, with its private key securely stored on a YubiHSM.

Overview

Portable OS

The CA software stack is bundled within a lightweight OS, which can be booted from a USB stick on any compatible hardware like a disk-less laptop. This provides portability and isolation, ensuring that the Root CA operates independently of the host system’s configuration. Once disconnected the system can be maintained by ICT professional (software update, etc.).

HSM

Root CA key are protected by symmetric key split into quorum of component given to Key Custodians and recombined prior usage. The YubiHSM serves as a hardware security module for storing the Root CA’s private key securely. It provides cryptographic operations and key management functionalities, safeguarding the key from unauthorized access and tampering. More information on the YubiHSM can be found here. Once used for CA operation, the key material is cleared from HSM.

CA Metadata

CA related (meta)data are stored separately (policy configuration, issued certificates/crl, etc…), ensuring the separation of concern having on one hand the Operating System stack and the Certificate Authority stack on the other end.

Security considerations

Isolation

By encapsulating the CA within a portable OS, potential security risks from the host system are mitigated, providing a layer of isolation.

Key protection

Storing the private key on a YubiHSM enhances its protection against theft or compromise, as the key never leaves the hardware device.

Secure device

The portable OS on the USB stick is configured for secure boot to prevent unauthorized modifications or tampering.

Access Control

The operation and storing of the CA-on-a-stick requires strict processes and procedures, involving vaults, dual control and segregation of duties.

Use-cases

Remote Environments

The portable nature of the USB stick allows the Root CA to be deployed in remote or air-gaped environments where network connectivity is limited, unavailable or not allowed.

Field Operations

Organizations conducting field operations or on-site deployments can benefit from the flexibility and security offered by the portable CA solution, under strict controls

Disaster Recovery

In the event of a system failure or disaster, the Root CA instance can be quickly restored from the USB stick, minimizing downtime and ensuring continuity of certificate services.

Screenshot

Summary

The implementation of a Certificate Authority as a portable system with its secret key stored on a HSM offers a secure, flexible and cost effective solution for managing Root CAs. By leveraging hardware-based security and technology abstraction, organizations can enhance the integrity and availability of their certificate authority infrastructure across various use cases and environments.

Interested in learning more? Contact us at ca-on-a-stick@link2trust.be for more information.

Embracing Crypto-Agility: Future-proofing your Security Strategy

Exciting times lie ahead in the realm of cybersecurity! Today, we want to delve into the concept of crypto-agility and how it can empower organizations to fortify their security strategies against evolving threats.

What is Crypto-Agility?

Crypto-agility refers to an organization’s ability to swiftly adapt cryptographic algorithms, protocols, and cryptographic mechanisms in response to emerging threats or the obsolescence of existing cryptographic standards. It enables us to future-proof our security infrastructure and stay one step ahead of adversaries in an ever-changing digital landscape.

Why is Crypto-Agility Essential?

As technology advances and cryptographic algorithms mature, new vulnerabilities and attack vectors emerge. To safeguard our data and systems effectively, we must proactively address these challenges. By embracing crypto-agility, we can rapidly adopt stronger cryptographic algorithms or modify existing ones to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of our digital assets.

The Benefits of Crypto-Agility

Enhanced Resilience: Crypto-agility allows us to respond swiftly to cryptographic weaknesses, ensuring our security measures remain robust and resilient against evolving threats.

Regulatory Compliance: Many industry-specific regulations and standards mandate the use of specific cryptographic algorithms. With crypto-agility, we can seamlessly transition to new standards, ensuring compliance without disrupting business operations.

Future-Proofing: By building crypto-agility into our security architecture, we can adapt to the rapid pace of technological advancements and maintain a strong security posture even as new algorithms and protocols emerge.

Competitive Advantage: Organizations that embrace crypto-agility gain a competitive edge by demonstrating their commitment to staying at the forefront of security practices. This instills trust among customers, partners, and stakeholders.

How to Implement Crypto-Agility?

Continuous Evaluation: Regularly assess the effectiveness and integrity of your cryptographic algorithms and protocols to identify potential vulnerabilities or outdated standards.

Stay Informed: Keep a pulse on the latest advancements in cryptographic research and emerging standards to proactively identify areas where updates may be required.

Robust Infrastructure: Ensure your security infrastructure is designed to accommodate future algorithmic changes and seamlessly integrate new cryptographic mechanisms.

Collaboration: Foster collaboration with industry peers, academic institutions, and cryptographic experts to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and collectively address emerging challenges.

Inventorying: Understanding and managing your cryptographic inventory is an essential step towards maintaining strong security, ensuring compliance, and enabling effective crypto-agility. This topic will be subject of future post.

Embrace Crypto-Agility, Secure the Future

In this dynamic digital landscape, crypto-agility is no longer an option but a necessity. By adopting a proactive approach to crypto-agility, we can safeguard our organizations against emerging threats, stay compliant, and foster trust among our stakeholders. Let’s embrace this exciting paradigm shift and future-proof our security strategies together!

The Importance of Cryptography Governance

How to Implement Cryptography Governance in Your Company

The use of cryptography is becoming increasingly widespread as businesses seek to protect their data and communications. However, the implementation of cryptography can be a complex and daunting task. This blog post will provide an overview of cryptography governance and offer tips on how to implement it in your company.

Defining Cryptography Governance.

Cryptography governance is the process of creating and maintaining an organizational framework that enables decisions about the use of cryptography to be made in a consistent, timely, and cost-effective manner.

Why is Cryptography Governance Important?

Cryptography governance is important because it helps organizations to make informed decisions about when and how to use cryptography. By defining roles and responsibilities, establishing policies and procedures, and educating employees, organizations can ensure that cryptography is used in a way that meets their business needs and protects their data.

Sometimes organizations are investing a substantial amount of money in inappropriate products or services. A proper governance could avoid this.

Implementing Cryptography Governance in Your Company.

Before you can implement cryptography governance in your company, you need to define a policy and clear requirements. This policy and set of requirements should address how cryptography will be used within the company. It should also lay out the consequences of not following the policy.

Assign Roles and Responsibilities.

Once you have a policy in place, you need to assign roles and responsibilities related to cryptography governance. This includes identifying who will be responsible for managing cryptographic keys, implementing security measures, and overseeing compliance with the policy.

Educate Your Employees.

It’s important that all employees are aware of the company’s cryptography policy and understand their roles and responsibilities under it. Employees should be trained on how to use cryptographic tools safely and securely, and they should be made aware of the potential risks associated with improper use of cryptography.

Monitor and Review.

Cryptography governance is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. You should regularly monitor compliance with the policy and review it periodically to ensure it remains effective. You may also need to make changes to the policy as your company’s needs change over time.