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Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)

Goals

  • You will be capable of defining Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and explaining its key components, including public and private keys, digital certificates, Certificate Authorities (CAs) and Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs)
  • You will be able to understand the general role of PKI in authentication, encryption, and ensuring data integrity in both IT and OT environments
  • You can recognize the growing importance of PKI in OT systems, specifically in securing communication between OT devices and between OT and IT networks
  • You will be in the position of describing how asymmetric cryptography works, including the use of public keys for encryption and private keys for decryption, in the context of OT security
  • You will be able to understand the structure and format of digital certificates (X.509) and their role in device identity management and secure communication in OT
  • You will be capable of explaining the function of Certificate Authorities (CAs) in managing the lifecycle of digital certificates and ensuring trust within the OT environment
  • You will have an understanding of the challenges of integrating PKI with legacy OT systems and how PKI can be retrofitted to enhance security without replacing older devices
  • You will be able to identify the key challenges in implementing PKI in OT, including performance and latency issues, limited resources on OT devices, and complexities in certificate management
  • You will understand the complexities of integrating PKI between IT and OT systems, including the challenges of reconciling different security protocols and management tools

Course Slides

Exercices

In the related exercice section, you will experience the use of concepts presented in the slides.