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Certificates, PKI, and Regulatory Compliance

Standards and browser policies that affect certificates

Compliance for certificates and PKI means more than passing an audit; it means designing governance, controls, and processes so issuance, key management, and cryptographic choices align to CA/B Forum rules, browser policies, and regional regulations. Compliance covers auditable controls, tamperproof logging, delegated approvals, and documentation that prove you’re operating within required baselines — from certificate lifetimes and revocation to algorithm choices and CT logging. Because browser and industry rules change (for example, shorter lifetimes and new algorithm requirements), an effective compliance program couples policy management with automation so changes are enforced consistently across public and private PKI. DigiCert’s platform approach embeds compliance into lifecycle automation, Private CA services, and CertCentral to reduce audit risk and operational friction.

What standards apply to public CAs? 
Public CAs must follow CA/B Forum baseline requirements, browser-enforced policies, and regional regulatory standards that govern issuance, audits, and cryptographic algorithms.

How does DigiCert reduce audit risk? 
DigiCert provides tamperproof logging, delegated workflows, and centralized policy enforcement so organizations can demonstrate controls and produce audit evidence.

What about certificate lifetimes and industry changes? 
Industry rules (and browser policy) drive changes like shorter certificate lifetimes; DigiCert publishes guidance and updates tools to keep customers compatible and compliant.

When should I involve compliance teams? 
Involve compliance early for PKI design, policy mapping to standards, and establishing audit and reporting workflows in Trust Lifecycle Manager, DigiCert Private CA or CertCentral.

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