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In the realm of AWS, the AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) Private Certificate Authority (CA) now enables organizations to construct and oversee a complete private certificate infrastructure. This advancement allows businesses to manage their entire PKI hierarchy online without relying on external CAs, providing significant operational efficiency.
Organizations can leverage ACM Private CA to create a robust CA hierarchy, encompassing both root and subordinate CAs, while avoiding the complexities of maintaining on-premises CA systems. This solution is fortified with AWS-managed hardware security modules (HSMs), alleviating the operational and financial burdens typically associated with securing a CA.
Understanding CA Hierarchy
Certificates serve a critical role in verifying identities and securing communications. When a resource presents a certificate to a server, the server validates the certificate against a trusted root CA to establish a secure connection. A CA hierarchy enhances security by placing strict access controls on the root CA, while allowing more flexibility at the subordinate level for bulk certificate issuance.
The root CA acts as the cornerstone of trust, consisting of a private key for signing certificates and a root certificate that binds the private key to the CA’s identity. When resources interact, they authenticate each other based on the certificates presented, establishing an encrypted communication channel.
Setting Up a CA Hierarchy with ACM Private CA
You can effortlessly create a CA hierarchy using root CAs, enabling you to issue certificates for identifying resources within your organization. The ACM Private CA console, APIs, or CLI facilitate the creation of root and subordinate CAs. Within minutes, you can establish a two-level CA hierarchy using the console wizard, which guides you through each step, including chaining subordinate CAs to parent CAs.
Once a root CA is created, it is crucial to distribute the root certificate to the trust stores of your servers and browsers. For development and testing, a simple one-level CA hierarchy can be established, but remember, revoking the root CA certificate is not feasible since it is embedded in trust stores.
Online vs. Offline Root CAs
While many organizations opt to keep their root CAs offline for enhanced security, ACM Private CA allows for a more flexible approach. Root CAs can be configured to be online only when necessary, ensuring controlled and monitored usage. This is particularly useful for organizations that have stringent security protocols.
With ACM Private CA, customers can create a trusted root CA with a lifespan of over ten years, all while ensuring that private keys are shielded by FIPS 140-2 level 3 HSMs. By reviewing AWS CloudTrail logs and auditing reports, organizations can verify that their CA is used for authorized purposes.
Common Use Cases for Root CA Hierarchy
Three primary use cases emerge for implementing a root CA hierarchy. First, advanced PKI users may require a separate PKI for testing environments without compromising their production root CA. Second, organizations lacking expertise in PKI can utilize ACM Private CA to establish a secure root CA with IAM access restriction, enhancing their security posture. Lastly, businesses evaluating internal PKI solutions can benefit from the ease of managing their entire private certificate infrastructure within AWS, eliminating the need for costly and complex on-premises setups.
To embark on this journey, begin by accessing the ACM Private CA console, and for further insights, refer to additional resources like this blog post that discusses ongoing HR issues or how this article provides authoritative guidance on similar topics. For those interested in practical applications, check out this excellent resource regarding training opportunities at Amazon.