Give me a detailed list of all security measures a root ca has to protect itself
Establishing and maintaining a publicly trusted Root Certificate Authority (CA) requires rigorous alignment with WebTrust for Certification Authorities principles, alongside the CA/Browser Forum Baseline Requirements and root store policies (such as Mozilla, Microsoft, and Apple).
The comprehensive audit checklist and compliance requirements are structured across the core WebTrust domains:
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Phase 1: CA Business Practices Disclosure
• Certificate Policy (CP) & Certification Practice Statement (CPS):
• [ ] Publicly disclose and maintain a comprehensive CP and CPS detailing key generation, lifecycle management, revocation, and security procedures.
• [ ] Ensure consistency between CP/CPS statements and actual technical operations.
• [ ] Provide annual reviews and version control tracking for any modifications to the CP/CPS, giving prior notice to root store operators where required.
Phase 2: CA Environmental Controls (Physical & Logical Security)
• Security Management & Infrastructure:
• [ ] Implement an information security policy framework (e.g., aligned with ISO/27001).
• [ ] Enforce strict asset classification, inventory control, and handling procedures.
• Physical and Environmental Security:
• [ ] House Root CA hardware in a dedicated, highly secured hardware security module (HSM) environment or a multi-person controlled secure facility (typically air-gapped).
• [ ] Enforce dual-person physical access controls (biometrics, multi-factor tokens, smart cards).
• [ ] Maintain 24/7 video surveillance of the root signing room and physical security perimeters, with footage archived securely.
• System Access & Operations Management:
• [ ] Apply the Principle of Least Privilege and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) for all administrative paths.
• [ ] Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) using hardware tokens for any logical access.
• [ ] Maintain comprehensive, immutable audit logging for all system access, administrative changes, and security events.
• System Development and Change Management:
• [ ] Require formal authorization, peer review, and testing for all software modifications, patches, and script updates affecting the PKI ecosystem.
Phase 3: CA Key Lifecycle Management Controls
• Key Generation Ceremonies:
• [ ] Execute Root CA key generation during a formal, scripted ceremony witnessed by multiple trusted internal officers and an independent third-party auditor.
• [ ] Utilize FIPS 140-2 Level 3 (or higher) certified Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) for key storage.
• Key Storage, Backup, and Recovery:
• [ ] Ensure private keys never leave the HSM in plaintext.
• [ ] Enforce Multi-Person Control (M-of-N threshold split knowledge, e.g., smart cards/crypto-tokens) to authorize root key activation or backup restoration.
• Key Usage and Archival:
• [ ] Restrict Root CA key usage exclusively to signing Subordinate/Intermediate CAs or issuing self-signed operational updates.
• [ ] Securely archive cryptographic hardware configuration and lifecycle logs.
• Key Destruction & Compromise Preparedness:
• [ ] Document formal incident response and key compromise procedures.
• [ ] Ensure secure, crypto-shredding or physical destruction of HSMs upon reaching end-of-life.
Phase 4: Subordinate CA & Certificate Lifecycle Controls
• Subordinate CA Approvals:
• [ ] Authenticate and verify all requests for subordinate/intermediate CA certificates using strict validation procedures matching or exceeding subscriber rules.
• Repository and Revocation Management:
• [ ] Maintain continuous, highly available public repositories for certificates and Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs) / Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) responses.
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Audit & Compliance Execution
1. Independent Practitioner Audit: The CA must undergo an annual examination performed by an authorized, licensed public accounting firm (CPA Canada / WebTrust-accredited practitioner).
2. Audit Reports: Deliver a WebTrust for Certification Authorities audit report (Type II assertion covering a minimum 12-month period) alongside a WebTrust for CAs – Baseline Requirements report.
3. Submission: File the resulting audit letters and auditor's opinions directly into the Common CA Database (CCADB) and individual browser root store tracking portals to maintain active root inclusion.
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Follow-up options:
• Another way to accomplish the task: Review alternative frameworks such as the ETSI EN 119 411 European Qualified Trust Service Provider (TSP) compliance criteria.
• Go deeper: Explore the strict multi-person Cryptographic Key Generation Ceremony Script requirements and split-knowledge protocols.