Windows Active Directory (AD) is one of the most widely used administrative models among enterprises. User management in AD is smooth when there are only a few users, but as the number of users grows, problems start to arise. Among the many problems that can crop up when juggling multiple user accounts, the most daunting problem might be tracking SSL certificates mapped to user accounts. Before getting into the details, let’s analyze the exact problem areas:
Client certificate mapping over conventional authentication.
AD offers two types of user account authentication:
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Conventional user ID/password authentication.
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Certificate authentication, a more secure authentication method that uses digital certificates, meaning the communication is encrypted.
How it works.
Mutual authentication uses the SSL/TLS protocol to perform authentication “handshakes” between the client and server. This is a technique wherein the client and the server (basically, the two devices that communicate) identify each other using the digital certificates mapped into their accounts and agree to establish a secure communication channel between them.
Though the user ID/password authentication model is much less complicated, the influx of cyber crime frequently subjects it to brute-force attacks and identity theft. In such cases, mutual communication by client certificate mapping ensures complete security by encrypting the communication between the users involved.
The problem with certificate tracking.
While certificate mapping adds security, it creates many additional tasks for administrators. Mapping certificates with user accounts leaves scores of certificates distributed randomly across the organization. All these certificates need to be effectively consolidated and sorted, with respect to the associated user accounts. This mighty task consumes a lot of the administrator‘s productive time, as they have to constantly track, monitor, and consolidate user certificates.
Key Manager Plus automates user certificate management.
If you are struggling to manage certificates mapped to your user accounts in AD, Key Manager Plus is the tool you need. With Key Manager Plus, the entire process of managing user certificates is condensed into a single click. Try Key Manager Plus, and let it automatically discover all the user certificates from AD, consolidate them in a centralized repository, and monitor their expiration dates to get the much needed visibility over your user certificates.
Click here to try Key Manager Plus!
