Root Causes: A PKI and Security Podcast

We explain the major news items from the most recent CA/Browser Forum face-to-face meeting in Tokyo. Topics include MPIC, 47-day certificate term, and Temporary Restraining Orders.

Jason and I take a peek forward at what we imagine IT security looks like in 2030. Topics include PQC, ZTNA, "green zones," deep fakes, IoT, connected cars, agentic AI, blockchain, and CLM.

Apple's ballot to step the maximum term for public SSL certificates down to 47 days has passed in the CA/Browser Forum. We explain.

Guest Dmitry Sharkov joins us to describe Open MPIC, the open-source project to help public CAs support MPIC.

We define multi good factor authentication, which is the idea that not all authentication factors are equal. We discuss the importance of considering authentication strength and the contextual nature of trust.

We are joined by repeat guest Bruno Coulliard of Crypto4A to introduce Sectigo's new post quantum cryptography (PQC) sandbox. The PQC sandbox allows you to get quantum resistant certificates in your hands to understand how they work with your systems.

In this episode we explore the potential PQC future for Microsoft Active Directory Certificate Services, aka MSCA. We discuss potential paths for Microsoft to take and their consequences.

Protocol ossification is the phenomenon whereby ecosystems fail to work correctly with the full range of options included in a protocol. This occurs when individual software components only partially support the capabilities that should be available. We define protocol ossification, explain how and why it occurs, give real world examples, and talk about potential remedies.

Many people believe that the Trump White House rescinded an important cybersecurity executive order from late days of the Biden administration. We set the record straight.

In this episode we discuss the thinking on how adversaries can exploit the flaws in AI models to achieve unexpected and dangerous results. We explore some potential paths of defense against attacks of this sort.

RSA is under attack. Even without the quantum threat, we face the possibility of smart new exploits reducing the viable RSA key space and rendering it unsafe. In this episode we discuss the merits of choosing ECC over RSA as soon as today.

We discuss how various popular computing platforms approach security and highlight the differences between them.

Jason recounts a 2024 Black Hat talk about the need for objective measurements of our IT defenses and whether the good guys or bad guys are winning. Jason breaks down how to define and measure the impact of security measures.

It's the stuff of science fiction! Interesting research shows how today's AI technology is capable of lying to and scheming against its human owners in service of its goals.

We talk a lot about Shor's Algorithm in our discussion of post quantum cryptography (PQC). In this episode Jason explains Shor's algorithm for non-quantum physicists.

Jason reports on a 2024 Black Hat keynote about how modern software development practices inhibit innovation and invention.

AI tools are now available to perform red-teaming activity for DevSecOps. Such tools are soon to be table stakes in the constantly escalating IT security arms race. Join us to learn more.

In this episode, guest Alexandre Giron explains what is needed to support post quantum cryptography (PQC) with ACME.

Not all forms of MFA are equally secure. In this episode we describe the differences between the more secure and less secure forms of MFA.

In this episode we explain the all-or-nothing fallacy in cybersecurity and how it's affecting debate in the WebPKI right now.

A new demand from the UK seeks complete access to all Apple cloud data housed in the UK, regardless of the data owners' citizenship and residency. We unpack this latest development in Government versus Encryption.

The past year has seen a great deal of focus on the use of public TLS certificates where private root certificates are actually the appropriate solution. In this episode we discuss the differences between these two use cases and what IT organizations can do about it.

Apple is proceeding with a ballot that eventually will shorten SSL certificate maximum term to 47 days. Accompanying the ballot, Apple released a statement explaining its intent with the ballot. In this episode we unpack its statements.

In the wake of the Bugzilla Bloodbath, we list and describe twelve sins CAs commit on Bugzilla and its like, why they're detrimental, and how CAs should avoid them.

Harvest and decrypt is a well-known attack vector against traditional cryptography prior to PQC. In this episode, we discuss what enterprises should be doing today to defend themselves against harvest and decrypt.