MSPs can save more than halve their costs for managing Clients’ TLS/SSL Certificates

08 Jul ‘24

Managing and renewing TLS/SSL certificates for multiple clients can be a daunting task for Managed Service Providers (MSPs). The increasing pressure from Google to reduce the validity of TLS/SSL certificates from one year to 90 days necessitates more frequent renewals, significantly increasing the workload for MSPs. Without an efficient system, MSPs might need to drastically increase their staff or risk falling behind on certificate management. Fortunately, KeyTalk’s Certificate and Key Management System (CKMS), a multi-tenant Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) solution with automation, offers a solution.

The Challenge of TLS/SSL Certificate Management

Replacing a TLS/SSL certificate on a server typically takes around 30 minutes and involves several steps:

1. Generate CSR: 5-10 minutes
2. Submit CSR and Receive Certificate: 5-15 minutes (depending on the CA’s processing time)
3. Download and Install Certificate: 10-15 minutes
4. Verify Installation: 5-10 minutes

The total time generally falls within the 30-minute range per certificate. Given the high demand for skilled IT PKI specialists, it’s inefficient for MSPs to use these valuable resources on manual certificate replacements. Automating these routine tasks can save time and reduce errors.

The Business Case for CLM and Automation

Consider an MSP managing 1,500 certificates for clients, all of which need to be renewed annually. With the average replacement time of 30 minutes and the average cost of a PKI IT administrator at €50 per hour, the annual cost for manual renewals is:

1500×0.5 (hours)×€50=€37,500.

In contrast, the annual cost for KeyTalk CKMS to automatically manage and renew these certificates is €12,950. This automation leads to a cost reduction of more then 65% allowing employees to focus on more strategic tasks while minimizing errors.

If the maximum validity of TLS/SSL certificates is reduced to 90 days, the cost of manual renewals will quadruple, while the cost for KeyTalk CKMS remains unchanged.

How KeyTalk CKMS Saves Time (and Money) for MSPs

1. Centralized Management

• Centralized Dashboard: Manage certificates across multiple tenants and environments from a single interface.
• Time Savings: Reduces time spent switching between different systems, providing quick access to all client certificates, their status, and renewal dates.

2. Automated Certificate Issuance and Renewal

• Automation: Automates the issuance, renewal, and installation of certificates.
• Time Savings: Eliminates manual intervention, with scheduled renewals preventing downtime.

3. Bulk Operations

• Bulk Management: Perform bulk certificate operations such as renewals, revocations, and installations.
• Time Savings: Processes multiple certificates simultaneously, significantly reducing the time required.

4. Instant Notifications and Alerts

• Real-Time Alerts: Receive notifications for upcoming expirations, renewal failures, or security issues.
• Time Savings: Allows proactive management and immediate actions, reducing time spent on emergency fixes.

5. Template-Based Configuration

• Standardization: Use templates for common configurations and settings across different clients.
• Time Savings: Ensures consistency and reduces the time spent configuring each server individually.

6. Automated Compliance Reporting

• Compliance and Audit Logs: Automatically generate compliance reports and maintain audit logs.
• Time Savings: Simplifies compliance audits and maintains logs without manual input.

7. Seamless Integration with Other Tools

• Integration: Integrates with existing tools like Entra ID (Azure AD), Intune, and other management systems.
• Time Savings: Streamlines workflows by integrating with other systems, reducing manual data entry and management.

8. User Role Management

• Granular Permissions: Assign specific roles and permissions to users within the CLM tool.
• Time Savings: Allows delegated administration, spreading the workload and reducing bottlenecks.

9. Self-Service Portals for Clients

• Client Access: Provides clients with self-service portals to manage their own certificates.
• Time Savings: Reduces support requests by allowing clients to perform routine certificate management tasks themselves.

Conclusion

By adopting KeyTalk CKMS, MSPs can significantly reduce the time, costs, and resources spent on managing TLS/SSL certificates across multiple clients. The automation, centralized management, bulk operations, and integration capabilities of KeyTalk CKMS streamline the certificate management process, allowing MSPs to focus on more strategic tasks and improve overall efficiency. For more information on how KeyTalk CKMS can revolutionize your certificate management, visit our website or contact our support team.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to innovate and simplify TLS/SSL Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) for MSPs and their clients.