Title

AWS re:Invent 2023 - Run modern PKI workflows with HCP Vault on AWS (SEC201)

Summary

Speakers: David Mills and Rob Barnes.
Topic: Modernizing Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) management using HashiCorp's Vault with AWS Certificate Manager (ACM).
PKI Overview: PKI involves procedures, processes, technologies, and standards for managing digital identities and certificates for secure communication in networked environments. It's a core component of cybersecurity and zero trust security.
Traditional PKI Management Challenges: Manual processes, multiple tools, slow response times, and involvement of multiple teams can lead to inefficiencies and security risks.
Customer Case Study: A customer managing 4,000 certificates across AWS and on-premises environments spent two months per year on certificate management.
Modern PKI Management with Vault: Vault addresses traditional PKI pain points by increasing agility, reducing risk and cost, preventing outages, and enhancing security through automation and centralized management.
Vault Features: Supports Acme protocol, FIPS 140-2 cryptographic standards, OCSP for certificate revocation, and customization of certificate data.
Vault Scalability and Integration: Vault can process thousands of requests per second, supports multiple CAs, and integrates with various partners and services.
Demo: Rob Barnes demonstrated how to set up Vault as an intermediate CA using Terraform, integrate it with AWS Certificate Manager, and issue certificates.

PKI Management Evolution: The presentation highlighted the need for modernizing PKI management to keep up with the agility and scalability demands of modern applications and infrastructure.
Vault as a Solution: Vault's role as a centralized secrets management tool that can automate certificate issuance and renewal processes is crucial for modern PKI workflows.
Integration with AWS: The integration of Vault with AWS Certificate Manager allows for a seamless PKI management experience within the AWS ecosystem, leveraging the strengths of both services.
Automation and Infrastructure as Code: The use of Terraform to automate the deployment and configuration of Vault and AWS resources underscores the industry's shift towards infrastructure as code and automation.
Security and Compliance: Vault's support for FIPS 140-2 cryptographic standards and OCSP for certificate revocation indicates a strong focus on security and compliance, which is essential for enterprise environments.
Practical Demonstration: The live demo provided a practical example of how organizations can implement the discussed PKI management strategies, making the concepts more tangible for the audience.