certificate management Archives

Tech Optimizer

November 5, 2025

pgEdge Announces CloudNativePG Integration, Simplifying Postgres on Kubernetes

pgEdge has released new Container Images and an updated Helm chart to improve the deployment of pgEdge on Kubernetes, integrating with CloudNativePG, an open source Kubernetes operator for managing PostgreSQL clusters. The new pgEdge Postgres Container Images support Postgres versions 16 through 18 and are available in two flavors: Minimal and Standard. The updated Helm chart simplifies the management of distributed Postgres architectures, supporting flexible deployment options, automatic failover, and configuration for multi-cluster environments. The releases are designed to enhance operational efficiency and are available on GitHub.

AppWizard

September 11, 2025

How Pixel and Android are bringing a new level of trust to your images with C2PA Content Credentials

The Google Pixel 10 phones incorporate C2PA Content Credentials in their camera and Google Photos, marking them as the first to attach these credentials to every photograph taken. The Pixel Camera app has achieved Assurance Level 2, the highest security rating from the C2PA Conformance Program, ensuring a secure environment for digital content. The integration employs a private-by-design strategy for certificate management, preventing traceability back to the creator. On-device trusted time-stamps allow users to trust images even after the certificate expires. The technology is supported by the Google Tensor G5 and Titan M2 security chip, enhancing hardware-backed security features. Content Credentials provide detailed information about the creation and protection of media files, helping users identify AI-generated or altered content. Google is a steering committee member of the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), which aims to establish industry standards for digital content verification. The Pixel 10 categorizes digital content based on verifiable proof of its creation process. Each JPEG photo captured includes Content Credentials, and Google Photos validates these credentials for edited images. The implementation architecture is designed to be secure, verifiable, and usable offline. Google employs a unique certificate management strategy to enhance user privacy, ensuring that each key and certificate is used for only one image. An on-device offline time-stamping authority allows for the generation of trusted time-stamps without requiring internet connectivity.

Winsage

October 10, 2024

New Windows Feature Limits Admin Privileges

Microsoft has introduced a security feature called Administrator Protection in its latest Windows preview version, aimed at enhancing local administrator privileges and reducing the risk of privilege escalation exploits. This feature changes the elevation of privileges from an unrestricted process to a controlled "just-in-time" event, utilizing an isolated, ephemeral shadow administrator account that disappears after use. This approach replaces the previous split-token model governed by User Account Control (UAC) and complicates attempts by cybercriminals to misuse elevated privileges. The feature is designed to hinder attackers who exploit common applications and administrative privileges for lateral movement within networks. It is disabled by default and requires activation via group policy. Additionally, it improves monitoring capabilities for organizations by allowing better oversight of short-lived privileged accounts.

Winsage

September 25, 2024

Automating Certificate Lifecycle Management in Windows OS with AppViewX AVX ONE CLM

Automating certificate lifecycle management (CLM) in Windows operating systems involves challenges due to the complexity of various certificate stores and the need to manage system-level and user-level certificates. Privilege management is also a significant hurdle, as it requires balancing least privilege with the need for elevated permissions. The AppViewX AVX ONE CLM platform, particularly the AppViewX Windows Gateway component, addresses these challenges by automating CLM actions such as deployment, renewal, and revocation of certificates, while facilitating script execution for Windows system configuration. The AppViewX Windows Gateway uses three communication modes to interact with certificate authorities (CAs): WMI, Native API, and PowerShell. - WMI: Utilizes standard remote WMI queries via RPC, requiring TCP port 135 for initial connection and dynamic ports ranging from 49152 to 65535 for subsequent communications. Proper firewall configurations must allow inbound traffic on ports 135 and the dynamic RPC ports. - PowerShell: Requires PowerShell remoting to be enabled using the Enable-PSRemoting command, utilizing port 5985 for WinRM. - Native API: Interacts directly with the OS kernel and hardware for high-performance capabilities, specifically for Microsoft CA communication, using port 135 for RPC-based protocol messages. The AppViewX Windows Gateway simplifies the tasks of PKI administrators managing certificate lifecycles in Windows environments. An Implementation Architect from AppViewX is available to assist with the installation prerequisites for the AppViewX Windows Gateway.