Every day, users, system administrators, and security experts will negotiate a trade-off between security and convenience. This is a particularly serious issue for software developers and DevOps teams, who frequently use the simple approach of sharing private keys.
DevOps teams were formed to bridge the gap between diverse IT departments and optimize the software development process. However, due to the increased urgency produced by DevOps integrations, software developers may feel more compelled to push out releases and share private keys to speed up the process.
According to a survey, around 5 million internet-connected gadgets continue to share known private keys for encrypting their communications. When compared to the conclusions of SEC Consult’s analysis of hardcoded cryptographic secrets in 2015, the number of devices doing so has increased by 40%.
The raw data, which contains 331 certificates with matching private keys as well as 553 individual private keys, has been posted on Github in the spirit of open research.
It is not a good idea to share private keys!
Private keys that are shared will open up the possibility for stolen keys, and these stolen keys can mean signed software with vulnerabilities or malware being issued with your company’s name on it. It’s like the key to your front door that you want to make sure it’s safe and only in the hands of individuals you can trust. Shared private keys might be misplaced, stolen, or exploited while in transit. Plus, if everyone has a local copy of the same signing key, it’s impossible to keep track of who signed what and when.
In the conflict between security and convenience, we are frequently forced to choose between the two – compromising user safety or vice versa. The problem of private key sharing is often solved by slowing down the operation.
Stolen private keys from a malicious actor can provide a shortcut to an organization’s heart. The more these keys are shared, the more chances malevolent actors have of discovering and exploiting them. It doesn’t matter how powerful your firewalls or antivirus engines are if an attacker gets their hands on your private key because they can impersonate you or get access to your private communications. Of course, all of these offensive outcomes are accompanied by the usual list of dreadful consequences of data breaches: decreased productivity, compliance penalties, reputational harm, and so on.
How To Share Data Without Sharing Private Key?
Developers must exchange assets with fellow employees in an organization, but sharing private keys is not a good idea. So, what are your alternatives? Dedicated HSMs are one option, but they can be costly and require regular maintenance and replacement every three to five years.
Another option is to request numerous keys so that each developer has his or her own, but this increases the cost and stress on the certificate requester tremendously. Using a modern key management solution that gives you more control and security over key management is the simplest method to handle keys securely.
Secure Software Manager is a cutting-edge approach to code signing that provides automated security, portable, flexible deployment models, and secure key management.
Secure Software Manager supports code signing best practices such as private signing with a unique key and certificate, on-demand keys, and rotating keys. It works with a variety of platforms and frameworks, including Microsoft, Java, Android, Docker, and others.
Enterprises can integrate code into their product development processes using Secure Software Manager and delegate cryptographic operations, signing activities, and administration in a controlled, auditable manner.
Secure Software Manager allows for rapid deployment of large volumes of certificates in minutes, as well as deployment options on-premises, in-country, or in the cloud.
We hope this article clarifies your queries regarding Private key confidentiality. For more details about web security needs, click here.
