WatchGuard Technologies SSL VPN manual Creating and Installing Secure, Certificates

CHAPTER 7 Creating and Installing Secure

Certificates

The Firebox SSL VPN Gateway uses certificates for authentication. In the Firebox SSL VPN Gateway Administration Tool, you can create a certificate to be signed by a Certificate Authority. Then, when the signed certificate is received, it can be installed on the Firebox SSL VPN Gateway.

This chapter covers the following topics:

•Generating a Secure Certificate for the Firebox SSL VPN Gateway

•Digital Certificates and Firebox SSL VPN Gateway Operation

•Overview of the Certificate Signing Request

•Client Certificates

Note

When configuring certificates do not use 512-bit keypairs. They are subject to brute force attacks.

Generating a Secure Certificate for the Firebox SSL VPN Gateway

The Firebox SSL VPN Gateway includes a digital certificate that is not signed by a trusted Certificate Authority. Install a digital X.509 certificate that belongs to your company and is signed by a Certificate Authority on the Firebox SSL VPN Gateway. Your company can operate as its own Certificate Authority, or you can obtain a digital certificate from a commercial Certificate Authority such as Verisign and Thawte.

Note

Operating the Firebox SSL VPN Gateway without a digital certificate signed by a Certificate Authority can subject VPN connections to malicious attacks.

There are two ways to install a secure certificate and private key on the Firebox SSL VPN Gateway:

•Generate a Certificate Signing Request using the the Administration Tool. When the request is generated, a certificate and private key are created. The private key remains on the Firebox SSL VPN Gateway and the certificate is sent to a CA for signing. When the certificate is received back, it is installed on the appliance. During installation it is paired with the password-protected private key. WatchGuard recommends using this method to create and install secure certificates.

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