We design, deploy, and operate machine identity and PKI solutions using Venafi’s platform—now part of CyberArk—to prevent certificate‑related outages, standardise policy, and secure software supply chains across data centres, cloud, Kubernetes, and OT/IIoT.
Why SafeCipher for Venafi/CyberArk (Outcomes)
- Zero‑outage posture with full discovery and automated renewals
- One control plane for multi‑CA estates (AD CS, EJBCA, cloud CAs)
- Cloud/Kubernetes ready with short‑lived certs and GitOps pipelines
- Audit‑ready evidence packs, BYOK/Managed HSM key custody
Venafi → CyberArk Product Portfolio (What We Implement)
Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM)
Automate discovery, issuance, renewal, and revocation of X.509 certificates. – Original: Venafi TLS Protect (self‑hosted & SaaS) – New: CyberArk Certificate Manager
Kubernetes & Cloud‑Native (K8s/OpenShift)
Extend machine identity management to cloud‑native workloads and clusters. – Original: Venafi TLS Protect for Kubernetes – New: CyberArk Certificate Manager for Kubernetes
PKI as a Service (Private PKI, Cloud‑Delivered)
Create and maintain private certificates without running on‑prem PKI. – Original: Venafi Zero Touch PKI (ZTPKI) – New: CyberArk Zero Touch PKI
Code Signing (Software Supply Chain Security)
Protect code signing keys and automate signing across CI/CD. – Original: Venafi CodeSign Protect – New: CyberArk Code Sign Manager
SSH Key Management (Admin Access Controls)
Discover, rotate, and govern SSH keys to prevent unauthorised access. – Original: Venafi SSH Protect – New: CyberArk SSH Manager for Machines
The Control Plane (Central Orchestration)
A central platform to orchestrate policy, issuance, discovery, and integrations across the estate. – Original: Venafi Control Plane for Machine Identities
Reference Integrations (Where It Connects)
- CAs/PKI: Microsoft AD CS, EJBCA, DigiCert/Entrust/GlobalSign/Sectigo, AWS PCA, Google CAS
- Cloud & Edge: AWS, Azure, GCP; ALB/ELB, API Gateway, CloudFront, App Services
- Kubernetes: cert‑manager issuers, Ingress controllers, Istio/Linkerd
- Enterprise/Network: F5, Nginx, HAProxy, IIS/Apache; RADIUS/NAC (Cisco ISE, Aruba ClearPass)
- DevOps/Supply Chain: GitHub/GitLab/Azure DevOps, Terraform/Ansible, signing services, HashiCorp Vault
Architecture Patterns (How We Design It)
- Multi‑CA control plane: policy + automation over AD CS/EJBCA/cloud CAs
- K8s at scale: short‑lived certs, workload identity, issuer integration, automated rotation
- Hybrid cloud: on‑prem roots with cloud issuing; cross‑environment discovery & renewal
- High assurance: HSM‑backed CA keys, dual control (M of N), immutable logs
Governance & Compliance (Making It Auditable)
- Policy packs: EKUs, SAN rules, key types (RSA/ECDSA, PQC roadmap), validity windows
- Workflows: RA approvals, change windows, maintenance orchestration, ITSM integration
- Monitoring: issuance SLOs, CRL/OCSP health, alerting to SIEM; evidence packs for audits
Deployment Models (SaaS, Hybrid, On‑Prem)
- SaaS: CyberArk/Venafi SaaS control plane with on‑prem connectors
- Hybrid: SaaS/hosted control plane with CA keys in Managed HSM / on‑prem HSM
- On‑Prem: components hosted for data sovereignty and network constraints
Use Cases We Deliver (End‑to‑End)
- TLS for apps/edge: discovery, risk scoring, automated renewals
- Kubernetes/service mesh mTLS: pod/service certs, ingress/egress, rotation
- Device & workload identity: VPN/Wi‑Fi (EAP‑TLS), servers, appliances, OT
- Code signing at scale: protected keys, automated signing, attestation, notarisation
- SSH governance: key discovery, rotation, least‑privilege access
Our Shortcodes (for Clear Requests)
- VEN‑CP → Venafi/CyberArk Control Plane
- CY‑CLM → CyberArk Certificate Manager (CLM)
- CY‑K8S → CyberArk Certificate Manager for Kubernetes
- CY‑ZTPKI → CyberArk Zero Touch PKI
- CY‑CSM → CyberArk Code Sign Manager
- CY‑SSH → CyberArk SSH Manager for Machines
Example: VEN‑CP/CY‑CLM/ServerTLS‑Std/PROD/DMZ/payments‑edge
Deliverables (What You Get)
- Solution design: HLD/LLD, policy packs, RBAC, connector inventory
- Build & onboarding: platform configuration, discovery jobs, pipeline integration
- Operations: issuance/renewal/revocation runbooks, DR, maintenance windows
- Evidence: audit logs, ceremony packs (if CA work), compliance traceability
FAQ: Venafi & CyberArk — Common Questions
Is Venafi now CyberArk? Venafi product names are rebranded under CyberArk; we map features and integrations to the new names.
Does this replace our CA? It’s the control plane; it integrates with AD CS, EJBCA, public and cloud CAs, and can deliver cloud PKI via CyberArk Zero Touch PKI.
How does it help Kubernetes? CyberArk Certificate Manager for Kubernetes integrates issuers and automates short‑lived workload certs.
Do we need an HSM? For CA/signing keys, yes (or Managed HSM); the control plane enforces policy and orchestrates issuance.
What’s the fastest win? Start with discovery + automated renewals for your top domains; add K8s ingress/service cert automation next.
Get Started (Assessment → Pilot → Scale)
- Discovery & gap analysis of certs, CAs, clusters, and critical paths
- Pilot a high‑value domain (e.g., K8s ingress + edge TLS)
- Scale with policy packs, connectors, and self‑service onboarding