[Case study] A Global Manufacturer’s Journey to Automating PKI with Keyfactor

[Case study] A Global Manufacturer’s Journey to Automating PKI with Keyfactor | SPONSORED

In a world where cybersecurity is not just a necessity but a critical competitive edge, a global manufacturer leading in sensing, electrical protection, control, and power management solutions faced significant challenges in securing its operations. Managing over 72,000 certificates, including 18,000 active ones, across many IoT devices presented a complex problem. This scenario demanded a solution that efficiently manages the entire certificate lifecycle, reduces the cost of issuing certificates, and ensures a secure environment, especially for a remote workforce navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company turned to Keyfactor Command and Keyfactor Signing Solution, seeking to harness their power for scalable certificate lifecycle management, improved security for a growing mobile workforce, and enhanced speed and protection for developers. Keyfactor’s solutions enabled the company to automate and scale its PKI management, transforming the cumbersome process of monitoring and managing tens of thousands of certificates into a streamlined, efficient operation. This automation extended to the issuance of certificates, allowing the company to generate its own rather than purchasing each from external Certificate Authorities at costs ranging from $200 to $500.

The benefits realized by the company were substantial and multifaceted:

1. Significant time and cost savings were achieved, with the cloud-hosted and automated nature of Keyfactor’s solutions freeing the security team to focus on strategic tasks. This efficiency gain was crucial for the company, enabling them to manage many certificates without overwhelming their resources.

2. The company gained a competitive advantage through reduced risk in handling client data. By securing private keys for code signing and introducing automated SSL scanning, the company increased its security for critical data, avoiding potential outages and fines, thereby increasing client trust.

3. Better alignment between the company’s security and development teams was fostered.

Keyfactor enabled the security team to meet developer needs for speed and security, facilitating closer collaboration and improving the overall security posture of the company’s products and services.

This case study showcases the challenges of managing PKI in a global manufacturing context. Read the full case study here.

Sponsored by Keyfactor