Advantages Of Certificates; Self-Signed Certificates; Configuration Summary; Figure 160 Certificate Configuration Overview - ZyXEL Communications 35 Series User Manual

Internet security appliance

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ZyWALL 5/35/70 Series User's Guide

Certification authorities maintain directory servers with databases of valid and revoked

certificates. A directory of certificates that have been revoked before the scheduled expiration

is called a CRL (Certificate Revocation List). The ZyWALL can check a peer's certificate

against a directory server's list of revoked certificates. The framework of servers, software,

procedures and policies that handles keys is called PKI (public-key infrastructure).

20.1.1 Advantages of Certificates

Certificates offer the following benefits.

• The ZyWALL only has to store the certificates of the certification authorities that you

decide to trust, no matter how many devices you need to authenticate.

• Key distribution is simple and very secure since you can freely distribute public keys and

you never need to transmit private keys.

Until public-key infrastructure becomes more mature, it may not be available in some areas.

You can have the ZyWALL act as a certification authority and sign its own certificates.

This section summarizes how to manage certificates on the ZyWALL.

Use the My Certificate screens to generate and export self-signed certificates or certification

requests and import the ZyWALL's CA-signed certificates.

Use the Trusted CA screens to save CA certificates to the ZyWALL.

Use the Trusted Remote Hosts screens to import self-signed certificates.

Use the Directory Servers screen to configure a list of addresses of directory servers (that

contain lists of valid and revoked certificates).

Chapter 20 Certificates

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