Remote working drives PKI demand

Necessity for better data protection and employee remote access is driving the rapid pace of PKI adoption

The 2020 Global PKI and IoT Trends Survey, conducted by Ponemon Institute and sponsored by Intercede technology partner, Entrust has highlighted the dramatic increase in public key infrastructure (PKI) which is taking place around the world.

Based on research conducted across 17 countries, using feedback from 1,900 IT security experts, the research shows that PKI is at the core of many companies’ expanding data protection infrastructure.

Published websites and services TLS/SSL certificates are the most frequently cited use for PKI credentials but public cloud-based applications, and enterprise user authentication both saw a significant increase in the percentage of companies deploying PKI. Growth which has led to a 43% increase in the average number of certificates and organisation needs to manage versus 2019.

The challenges being faced

Whilst PKI is seeing broader deployment, companies deploying the technology say they are facing a knowledge gap. More than half (52%) of those surveyed stated that a lack of visibility of existing PKI features is their number one challenge. An inability to modify legacy applications and the lack of existing PKI support for new applications were also cited as critical challenges by 52%.

Overcoming the challenges

The complexity of PKI is not to be underestimated but when deployed by experienced professionals who understand the technologies involved, the end result is a far simpler and more secure method of securing data and strong authentication.

A core part of any deployment is to choose the right technology mix and integral to that should be proven technologies that will not lock you in to a particular software or hardware mix.

Lack of visibility and use of existing PKI features

At Intercede we have developed our MyID software platform with a focus on providing seamless strong authentication for organisations large and small using PKI. Integration flexibility is a core part of our software platform.

MyID provides IT teams with the software they need to issue and manage the lifecycle of PKI credentials; this can often be achieved by MyID plugging in to the technologies organisations already have. As the survey emphasises, making full use of already available PKI technologies can be a challenge but with the right software, it is possible to reduce cost and use what you already have.

Evolve PKI and use new applications

Another challenge highlighted within the survey was the capacity for organisations to modify legacy applications and support new applications. This undoubtedly can be a headache and it is commonly one which vendors create for customers as they look to tie them in to their own suite of technologies.

At Intercede we have a completely different philosophy to many other credential management software vendors. Our software platform is vendor neutral and it is highly configurable both for new and existing customers to adapt their PKI solution to fit their organisational needs.

Flexibility that means MyID customers futureproof their PKI deployments by knowing they will be able to issue credentials to iOS and Android mobile devices, the latest smart cards across multiple vendors, USB tokens including the YubiKey, and virtual smart card solutions including Windows Hello for Business.

The deployment flexibility of MyID will also not be limited to PKI, as going forward the MyID platform will be adding FIDO credentials to its issuance and management capability.

As PKI and the overarching need for strong authentication continues to grow, we couldn’t emphasise the importance of carefully choosing the best technologies and vendors who will support your needs not only now but also in the future as your organisation and its PKI deployment evolves.

To find out more about the MyID software platform visit our MyID product pages or contact us now to arrange a free software demo.

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