Proposed Model for Outsourcing PKI

by Christopher McLaughlin

Abstract:

PKI is often referred to as a pervasive substrate. This terminology is used to 
describe the technological layer that permeates the entirety of the 
organisation on which PKI services are established. From the mid 1970s when 
Whitfield Diffie and Martin Hellman published their paper New Directions in 
Cryptography the concept of Public Key Cryptography, for the first time, 
allowed two entities with no previous relationship to communicate secure 
information over unsecured channels. PKI provides the infrastructure that 
allows Public Key Cryptography to function within a hierarchical structure, 
providing between two entities, an acceptable level of trust.

Outsourcing is the process of acquiring sources or services from an external 
source. With the modular structure of today's organisations it can also mean 
that goods and services can be procured from one segment of the organisation 
to another through inhouse service-supplier agreements. Outsourcing has 
evolved from the days of heavy industry and manufacturing in the 1960s to the 
total solution management of today.

This dissertation brings together the concepts of both PKI and Outsourcing. It 
details our AB-5C Model for organisations to outsource a PKI system within the 
scope of the businesses strategic goals and objectives. Our proposed model 
takes into account the need to use existing models, procedures and practices 
in support of an outsourced PKI Model. These include a process or processes to 
ensure that any outsourced solution adds value to the organisation, and that 
there is a business strategy that allows the alignment of the outsourcing 
strategy to the organisations strategic plan.