Certificate Transparency Logs (CTL)
Certificate Transparency (CT) is a system designed to enhance the security and integrity of the public key infrastructure (PKI) used to issue SSL/TLS certificates for websites. CT logs are a fundamental component of the Certificate Transparency system.
In the context of SSL/TLS certificates, CT logs are append-only, publicly accessible repositories that store records of all issued SSL/TLS certificates from various certificate authorities (CAs). These logs provide a way for domain owners and users to monitor and verify the issuance of SSL/TLS certificates for their domains. The primary goals of Certificate Transparency and CT logs are to:
Detect Misissued Certificates: By publicly logging all issued certificates, CT logs make it harder for malicious actors or misbehaving CAs to issue fraudulent or unauthorized certificates without detection.
Prevent Certificate Fraud: The transparency provided by CT logs enables domain owners to quickly identify if unauthorized certificates have been issued for their domains. It helps prevent man-in-the-middle attacks and other security vulnerabilities.
Improve Accountability: Certificate authorities are held more accountable for their actions, as their certificate issuances are open for scrutiny by the public. It can encourage better security practices.
Facilitate Monitoring: Domain owners, researchers, and security professionals can actively monitor CT logs to identify new certificates being issued for specific domains. This monitoring can help identify suspicious or unauthorized certificate issuance.
Support Auditing: CT logs allow external parties to audit the certificate issuance process and verify its correctness, reducing the potential for abuse or negligence.
In the Certificate Transparency system, CAs are required to submit newly issued certificates to multiple CT logs. These logs cryptographically sign the submitted certificates and maintain a tamper-evident, time-ordered record. Certificate consumers, such as browsers and security tools, can then check the logs to verify the authenticity and legitimacy of SSL/TLS certificates.
Certificate Transparency logs play a critical role in bolstering the security and accountability of the SSL/TLS certificate ecosystem, promoting trust and transparency among certificate authorities, domain owners, and internet users.
An organization's digital ecosystem relies heavily on secure and trustworthy digital certificates to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of communication channels and online interactions. ThreatNG’s External Attack Surface Management (EASM), Digital Risk Protection (DRP), and Security Ratings solutions incorporating Domain and Certificate Intelligence can significantly enhance an organization's ability to leverage Certificate Transparency Logs for improved security. Here's how each component contributes:
External Attack Surface Management (EASM): EASM solutions identify and monitor an organization's external-facing assets, such as domains, subdomains, IP addresses, and other online infrastructure. Incorporating Domain and Certificate Intelligence enables EASM to:
- Continuously monitor the organization's domain names and associated certificates.
- Detect unauthorized or fraudulent certificates issued for the organization's domains.
- Identify potential misconfigurations or vulnerabilities related to SSL/TLS certificates.
- Alerts when new certificates are issued or detected for monitored domains, ensuring prompt action if unauthorized certificates are discovered.
Digital Risk Protection (DRP): DRP proactively identifies and mitigates digital risks that could impact an organization's brand reputation, customer trust, and security posture. Integrating Domain and Certificate Intelligence enhances DRP by:
- Monitoring for unauthorized certificates issued for the organization's domains or brand-related terms.
- Detecting phishing attacks that leverage lookalike domains with fraudulent certificates.
- Rapidly identifying SSL/TLS-related security incidents and certificate-related risks.
- Enabling quick takedown of malicious websites using unauthorized certificates.
Security Ratings Solution: Security Ratings solutions provide organizations with insights into their cybersecurity posture and help them assess and manage risks. Domain and Certificate Intelligence integration enriches Security Ratings solutions by:
- Evaluating the organization's SSL/TLS certificate hygiene and adherence to best practices.
- Incorporating certificate-related information into the overall security posture assessment.
- Allowing organizations to monitor their security rating about their certificate management practices.
- Providing actionable recommendations to improve security ratings by addressing certificate-related issues.
Incorporating Domain and Certificate Intelligence across these solutions result in several benefits for the organization and its digital ecosystem:
Enhanced Security: Organizations can proactively detect and respond to certificate-related security incidents, minimizing the potential impact of unauthorized or fraudulent certificates.
Improved Compliance: Organizations can ensure compliance with industry standards and SSL/TLS certificate management regulations by monitoring and managing certificates effectively.
Brand Protection: Organizations can quickly identify and mitigate brand impersonation or domain squatting involving malicious certificates.
Trust Building: Proper certificate management enhances customer trust by ensuring secure and legitimate online interactions.
Reduced Exposure: With increased visibility into certificate-related risks, organizations can reduce their attack surface and vulnerability to certificate-related threats.
Timely Incident Response: Monitoring and alerts enable swift incident response, reducing the window of exposure and potential damage.
Integrating Domain and Certificate Intelligence into External Attack Surface Management, Digital Risk Protection, and Security Ratings solutions empowers organizations to effectively utilize Certificate Transparency Logs, strengthening their cybersecurity posture and ensuring the integrity of their digital ecosystem.
