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A digital certificate management system is a set of computer software designed to store, monitor and deliver certificates and other digital signatures to end-users. The certificate is digitally signed using the private key that resides on the owner’s computer. The digital certificates are signed by a digitally signed key and the private key is digitally stored on the owner’s computer. The certificates and digital signatures are transferred from the owner’s computer to the recipient’s computer during the encrypted connection process. The encrypted connection process is usually a session Initiation Protocol (IIS), Internet Message Format (IMF) or Secure Socket Layer (SSL) based protocol.

Digital certificates management enables users to track and store their digital certificates in a secured server for extended security. This also allows users to generate or verify digital signatures for web page approvals. This also enables users to generate or verify digital certificates for website submissions and for offline secure retrieval. Digital certificates lifecycle tracks the entire lifecycle of a digital certificate from the initial download to the time the certificate is successfully displayed on an online browser.

There are two types of digital certificates: challenge-response and smart-response. A challenge-response is a one-way digital certificate used as a proof of authenticity. With the help of a smart-response, a smart issuer can prove that the downloaded document is indeed genuine while preventing third parties from creating counterfeit copies. Users can manage certificates and verify digital certificates with ease and convenience. There is no need for technical knowledge, as the digital certificate management tool simplifies managing digital certificates and securing them.

Most businesses use the outsource handling of their digital certificates. However, startups to lack of budget and compliance requirements, many small and medium enterprises (SME) choose to handle their own certificates in house. However, outsourcing certificate handling costs considerably more than keeping them in-house. Moreover, manual management of certificates is a huge time, money and resource consuming exercise. Hence, many SMEs opt to take up a certificate management software solution to automate the process of handling printouts to their website servers.

By automating the process, the enterprise ensures that they are able to better monitor and track the process of issuance and validation and manage certificates with greater ease and efficiency. Certificate authorities and providers find it more profitable to automate the process rather than spend on manual labor. It is also cost effective as users do not have to spend on additional hardware or software. Hence, a digital certificate management software solution proves to be beneficial for both users and certificate authorities, thereby reducing the overall costs and wastage of time, manpower and resources.

An ideal digital certificate management system provides users with detailed, reliable and actionable reports. It should be able to provide the business with accurate statistics and information on how well the system is performing. startups should provide reporting on the security posture of the enterprise to help ensure that the online security measures are robust and effective. With improved security posture, the enterprise can be at a position to boost its online revenue and reputation and retain its competitive edge. This also leads to higher returns from clients and reduced operational costs.

Another crucial aspect of a good digital certificate management system is that it should allow users to store and securely access their public key infrastructure (PKI) on the enterprise’s server. A good system would allow users to automatically import and update their digital certificates and other information in real time. It should also allow users to generate or print custom PGP keys, and export the resulting file in different format such as PDF. The system should also be capable of generating SSL-protected private networks for secure document storage.

For every type of business case, there is a corresponding digital certificate management system that must be put in place. startups and digital certificate management service providers offer different package options to help businesses meet their security goals. It is important to evaluate each option and select the one that best suits the business case. There are startups to look for when choosing an appropriate management service.