Automate Certificate Lifecycle Management
PKI certificates secure digital interactions by encrypting data, authenticating identities, and establishing trust in websites, applications, and connected devices. Without proper certificate lifecycle management, organizations face risks like service outages, data breaches, and phishing attacks.
Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) ensures that certificates are issued, renewed, and revoked securely and on time. Centralizing and automating reduces the risk of human error and service interruptions and helps organizations maintain compliance with industry regulations.
What is Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM)?
Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) is the process of overseeing digital certificates from issuance to expiration or revocation. It ensures certificates are deployed correctly, renewed on time, and free from vulnerabilities that could compromise security.
CLM is essential for securing various digital assets, including:
-
Web traffic and applications: SSL/TLS certificates prove client and server identity, encrypt connections, and protect sensitive data
-
Email communications: S/MIME certificates verify sender identity and prevent email tampering
-
Code integrity: Code signatures ensure software authenticity and prevent unauthorized modifications
By continuously monitoring and managing certificates, CLM helps organizations maintain security, prevent outages, and stay compliant.
Why is CLM important?
Without proper oversight, expired or misconfigured certificates can lead to downtime, security breaches, and regulatory penalties. CLM streamlines certificate management, reducing risks and improving operational efficiency.
Minimize the risk of expired or revoked certificates
Expired certificates can cause service outages, loss of trust, and security vulnerabilities. CLM ensures timely renewals and revocations, keeping systems secure and operational.
Ensure compliance
Many industries have strict compliance requirements (e.g., ISO 27001, GDPR, NIS2, ISO 62443) that are met with a series of measures, including a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). CLM helps maintain compliance by ensuring that PKI certificates are properly managed, up-to-date, and aligned with regulatory standards.
Centralized control and monitoring
Manual certificate management is inefficient and prone to errors. CLM centralizes monitoring and provides visibility and control over all certificates, reducing the risk of mismanagement.
Enhance security posture
PKI certificates play a key role in protecting sensitive data. CLM helps identify and replace expired, weak, or compromised certificates before they can be exploited.
Wondering how to adopt it for your organization?
What we offer
STRONGER SECURITY & COMPLIANCE
- Detect security gaps early and reduce risks
- Simplify policy compliance
- Enable reporting and audit
- Crypto-agility
AUTOMATE EFFICIENCY & COST-SAVING
- Streamline and automate certificate management
- Free up 1.5 hours of resource time per day
- Cut process costs by 24% through automation and event-based coordination.
ENHANCED COMPETITIVENESS
- Secure new device classes to unlock smart use cases
- Enable collaboration by removing IT security barriers
- Free up IT resources for strategic growth and innovation
How does CLM work?
CLM gives you full visibility and control over your PKI certificates, ensuring secure issuance, provisioning, monitoring, and renewal while keeping compliance in check. CLM takes you from uncontrolled use of certificates across your IT to PKI consolidation, automation, and governance.
Automated discovery, inventory, and compliance check
- Scans for SSL/TLS certificates on the internet and the intranet
- Discovers certificates in directories, certificate stores, key chains, and file systems of all IT equipment
Central view and control of certificates irrespective of the CA
- Simultaneously connects to CAs from any vendor (including Microsoft, Nexus, and many more) and from any trust service provider (including Let’s Encrypt, Digicert, D-Trust, Nexus GO, and more)
Automates certificate management processes
- Automates certificate issuing, renewal, and revocation based on asset data in directories, MDM, CMDB, and ITSM systems
- Manages keys and certificates for devices as well as for users
- Automates certificate provisioning to web servers, Windows, Linux, Mac, mobile devices, network appliances, and more
- Event-based and time-based triggering of certificate management action
Simplify administration and reporting
User-friendly web portal for PKI administrators and operators
- Support manual certificate management
- Easy and revision-safe administration of certificate templates, policies, automation rules, connectors, etc.
Comprehensive logging and reporting
- Tracks all certificate-related activities with detailed logs
- Provides flexible reporting on certificate usage and billing-relevant keys
Centralized dashboard
- Displays an overview of certificate processes, algorithms, and types
- Highlights compliance status and potential security issues
Interested in exploring the complete solution?
Key features
for secure management of machine identities
Every application, server, and connected device relies on a machine identity for authentication and encryption. Centralized overview and transparent lifecycle management of these identities ensure that they stay secure, updated, and efficiently managed to minimize service disruptions.
-
Discover all machine identities in your system for a complete, up-to-date view of cryptographic assets
-
Manage ownership, generate reports, and send alerts to keep administrators in control
-
Standardize processes and policies to streamline deployment and enforcement
-
Customize lifecycle management to support unique security and operational needs
-
Enable self-service access for application owners and local admins to reduce IT workload
-
Automate workflows to cut costs, minimize manual errors, and reduce security risks
Why Nexus
End-to-end certificate control
Automate the entire certificate lifecycle—from issuance to renewal and revocation—to reduce operational burden and minimize human errors.
Crypto-agile and future-proof
Adapt to evolving cryptographic standards and emerging threats with agile key management and post-quantum readiness
Global expertise, local support
With decades of experience, we deliver expert guidance, regional support, and scalable solutions for organizations worldwide.