UseCase3_SSLCertificates - sandersdHES/PAMEmergingTech GitHub Wiki

This use case demonstrates how to centralize the management of SSL/TLS certificates in PAM360, helping organizations avoid outages, enforce access control, and maintain auditability.

Organizations often handle dozens or even hundreds of SSL certificates across servers, applications, and environments. Without centralized control, expired certificates can lead to downtime, failed connections, and compliance issues.

PAM360 provides:

• Centralized storage and visibility
• Expiry notifications
• Role-based access control
• Audit logging of certificate actions

Roles in the Certificate Workflow

Role	Responsibility
IT Security Admin	Manages, imports, and generates certificates
Web Server Admin	Deploys certificates, with limited access
Compliance Officer	Reviews audit logs and tracks certificate usage

Official Documentation

• Admin access to PAM360
• Certificate files (e.g., .cer, .crt, or .pem)
• Or a need to generate an internal certificate

• In PAM360, go to the top navigation bar
• Click Certificates

If you already have a certificate:

1. Go to Certificates → Add → Import Certificate
2. In the import window:
   • Browse and upload the certificate file (e.g., chanter_cert.cer)
3. Click Add

Best practice: Add metadata like usage purpose, expiry date, or associated system.

To create a certificate using PAM360’s built-in Certificate Authority (CA):

1. Go to Certificates → Create Certificate
2. Fill in:
   • Common Name (CN) – e.g., internal-dashboard.local
   • Organization, location, and contact info
   • Validity period (in days)
3. PAM360 generates a certificate + private key pair
4. You can:
   • Download it for manual deployment
   • Or push it directly to a target server

Suppose your DevOps team needs an SSL cert for a new dashboard:

• The IT Security Admin logs into PAM360
• Creates a certificate for internal-dashboard.local
• Shares it with the Web Server Admin only
• PAM360 logs the event, visible to the Compliance Officer

This allows secure, rapid certificate provisioning without third-party involvement—ideal for internal services and test environments.

• Access Control: Certificates can be restricted to specific users or teams
• Audit Logging: All import, download, and access operations are logged
• Expiry Tracking: PAM360 notifies admins before expiration

With PAM360, your organization can:

• Avoid service disruptions due to expired certificates
• Standardize and centralize certificate storage
• Control who can use, view, or export certificates
• Maintain a complete audit trail of all certificate operations

Whether importing third-party certificates or generating internal ones, PAM360 ensures your certificate lifecycle is secure, automated, and compliant.