Best Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) Software & Tools

Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) is an essential tool that helps companies authenticate and encrypt information using digital certificates. This technology is based on Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), a cryptographic framework that secures digital communication. It protects data, devices, machines, and individuals from identity fraud, unauthorized access, tampering, and other threats. A key advantage of CLM systems is that they offer comprehensive visibility and automation throughout the entire certificate lifecycle. This includes processes like issuing, discovering, inventorying, provisioning, deploying, securing, monitoring, renewing, and revoking certificates. By using CLM software, companies can avoid manual management, such as tracking certificates in spreadsheets, which significantly reduces the risk of system downtime and security vulnerabilities caused by expired certificates.

Additionally, CLM allows for the automation of managing various types of certificates, such as SSL and TLS certificates, client authentication certificates, digital signatures, and SSH certificates. Common use cases include user authentication, secure machine-to-machine communication, digitally signing code and documents, and ensuring encryption and integrity for IoT devices.

To be listed in the Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) category, a solution should feature the following functionalities:

• Automated certificate renewal
• Central certificate repository
• Real-time certificate monitoring
• Integration with common PKI systems
• Compliance management and auditing capabilities