Most automated certificate lifecycle management systems still distribute private keys to endpoint devices along with the certificates—an approach that introduces unnecessary security risk. This “last-mile” distribution step, often called orchestration, is also one of the most expensive, inconsistent, and error-prone parts of certificate management.
This post outlines a new approach that keeps private keys secured in a centralized key management system and significantly reduces the need to distribute keys to endpoints. The result: stronger security and simpler certificate management across the enterprise.
Certificates vs. Private Keys: Understanding the Difference
Although often discussed together, certificates and private keys serve different purposes.
Private Key
A private key is a sensitive, secret value used to:
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Decrypt data (sometimes after a key exchange)
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Create digital signatures for code signing, document signing, or authentication (TLS, SSH, etc.)
It must always remain confidential and ideally be stored inside a hardware security module (HSM) or secure key manager.
Digital Certificate
A certificate contains the public key, along with identity information and metadata. Certificates:
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Are public and do not require confidentiality
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Must be accessible to systems or users that need to validate a signature or connection
The critical takeaway:
Only private keys require strong protection. Certificates do not.
When it comes to certificate management, the important point to understand is that the digital certificate does not need to remain confidential. In fact, a certificate must be made available to any other end-user that needs to see it. This stands in stark contrast to the private key, which must be protected with a high level of security. Ideally, private keys are always stored and centrally-managed in a hardware security module (HSM) or secure key manager.
Digital Certificates Are Everywhere
Thanks to digital transformation, the number of devices on corporate networks has exploded:
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Routers
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Switches
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Printers
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Servers and databases
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Containerized applications
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IoT devices
Each often has one or more certificates. And many organizations now assign certificates to employees for:
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VPN authentication
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S/MIME email encryption
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File encryption
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Identity verification
The total number of certificates in an enterprise can easily reach the tens or hundreds of thousands.
The Need for Automated Certificate Lifecycle Management
With so many certificates in circulation, managing them manually is nearly impossible. Missing even a small subset increases the risk of expiration—and the resulting downtime.
Expired certificates can:
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Take mission-critical services offline
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Damage customer trust
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Cause major financial losses
Gartner estimates the cost of unplanned downtime at $5,600 per minute—more than $330,000 per hour.
Automated certificate management helps avoid these outages by:
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Automatically renewing certificates
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Tracking inventory from a centralized console
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Generating, deploying, managing, and revoking certificates at scale
Limitations of Traditional Automated Certificate Management
First-generation certificate lifecycle solutions greatly improved visibility and reduced outages. But they come with two major challenges:
1. Private Keys Still Get Distributed to Endpoints
For example:
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A TLS certificate and private key are generated centrally
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The bundle (PKCS#12, JKS, etc.) is exported
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The administrator installs it on a server
Once on the server, the private key is protected only by software, making compromise much easier.
2. Full Automation Requires Custom Integration
Different applications require:
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Unique formats
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Different installation paths
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Application-specific reload or restart steps
This makes universal automation difficult without extensive custom development.
Centrally-Secured Private Keys: The GaraTrust Difference
Many certificate management platforms distribute PKCS#12 bundles containing both the certificate and private key to endpoints—a process that significantly increases key-theft risk.
A better solution is to:
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Keep all private keys secured in an enterprise HSM or key manager
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Distribute only certificates to endpoints
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Allow remote, proxied access to private keys for necessary operations
This is exactly how GaraTrust works.
How GaraTrust Improves Security and Deployment
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Keys never leave the enterprise HSM
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Endpoint devices receive only a key identifier, not the private key itself
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When a device needs to sign something, it sends a request to GaraTrust
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GaraTrust authenticates the device, enforces policy, and performs the signature
This dramatically reduces risk and eliminates the need to distribute or install private keys on endpoints.
Fine-Grained Access Controls
Before a key is used, GaraTrust can enforce:
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Multi-factor authentication
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Device authentication
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Approval workflows
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IP allowlists
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Real-time notifications
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Per-user and per-key policies
No Custom Integrations Required
Because GaraTrust handles the cryptographic operations via proxy:
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No need to manually install key bundles
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No need for application-specific automation scripts
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No need to maintain fragile integrations
This streamlines orchestration and reduces operational overhead.
Strengthen Certificate Management With GaraTrust
If you want to secure and simplify certificate lifecycle management by eliminating private key distribution, the Garantir team can help.
GaraTrust natively supports centrally secured private keys, remote signing, granular access control, and seamless integrations across enterprise environments.
📩 Get in touch with the Garantir team to learn more or schedule a demo.
