The PKI CryptoGram – Edition #1

The PKI CryptoGram #1

First Edition!

Welcome to the first edition of the new monthly PKI CryptoGram. We started this monthly newsletter to keep you informed about all things PKI and Active Directory Certificate Services. Each month we will highlight updates to our industry leading ADCS Hotfixes and Known Issues List, news and information in the PKI arena, as well as product and technology announcements.

In this first edition we have a recap of the RSA 2015 USA conference, details on Rack Armor, updates for the HotFix list, and information on our new training referral program.

RSA 2015 (USA)

Just back from the RSA 2015 conference in San Francisco, I am excited by what I saw during the show. While there were no real showstoppers (and rarely are there in this field), there were several topics and concepts that were covered at the event. In my Peer2Peer session, we explored the concept of moving corporate identities and authentication mechanisms to the cloud. While this may seem far-fetched and impractical, the intent of the dialog was to explore why we are apprehensive about trusting our identities in the cloud.  Many of the sessions are now available online and can be watched at your leisure.

Rack Armor

While walking the floor at the RSA conference I was of course on the lookout for new tools and products that help secure, maintain or manage a PKI. One of the areas I am often advising customers on is ensuring two-man access to any component of a PKI. One of the areas that often takes a lot of customization to enforce is managing access to data center racks.

So I was delighted when I came across the booth forIdenticard and their featured product – Rack Armor. The product is a retrofit access control lock that adapts to many leading data center racks and allows access control management into the rack. Most importantly, it provides the ability to define rules to require two or more authentication cards to allow entry. The monitoring software can provides SNMP trap alerts, dashboard indication when a rack is opened, and even auto-triggering of camera equipment.

ADCS Hotfix & Known Issues Digest
Many of you are already familiar with the industry leading Hotfix and Known Issues Digest for ADCS that we provide. As of today, we are tracking almost 85 items from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2012 R2. Due to the expansive growth of the list, we are preparing a new and exciting format to make it easier to find the information for your specific environment. Look for an updated format and listing in the near future. We are also tracking several recently discovered known issues that will be added to the list as well.

Referral Program
We are delighted to announce the general availability of our new training referral program. Past students can now receive a special thank you gift for referring colleagues to a PKI Solutions training course. You can choose between a $100 Amazon.com gift card or credit towards a future training class. In addition, anyone that you refer will receive a 5% training discount. Simply send us an email at info@pkisolutions.com and indicate who you are referring.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Los Angeles
Sept 21-25
PKI In-Depth Training
Stockholm
May 26-27
Speaking: Get Ahead of Cyber Threats 2015
TRAINING UPDATE
We recently added a new delivery of the 5-day PKI In-Depth training class in Los Angeles for later this year.

Watch for news in the near future about our new Advanced ADCS class. It will be offered on a limited basis in 2016 and is designed for students who have completed the PKI In-Depth training class.