The article discusses the difficulties faced by French organizations, particularly government agencies, in renewing Référentiel Général de Sécurité (RGS) certificates, which are now required every 47 days. The current process is slow, often taking months, leading many to consider alternatives like Let’s Encrypt, despite its limitations.
Key Issues:
- Delays in RGS certificate issuance via UGAP (a French public procurement agency).
- Lack of automation in certificate provisioning.
- Dependence on a single provider, causing bottlenecks.
- Potential non-compliance risks for CISOs.
You Should Know:
Automating Certificate Renewal with ACME Protocol
Since manual renewal is impractical, automation is essential. Below are practical steps to implement ACME-based certificate management:
1. Using Certbot (Let’s Encrypt) on Linux
Install Certbot sudo apt update sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx Obtain & Install Certificate for Nginx sudo certbot --nginx -d example.com Auto-renewal Test sudo certbot renew --dry-run Set up Cron Job for Auto-renewal sudo crontab -e 0 12 /usr/bin/certbot renew --quiet
2. Using OpenSSL for Internal PKI
Generate a Private Key openssl genpkey -algorithm RSA -out private.key -aes256 Create a CSR (Certificate Signing Request) openssl req -new -key private.key -out request.csr Self-sign a Certificate (for testing) openssl x509 -req -days 47 -in request.csr -signkey private.key -out cert.crt
3. Windows Certificate Management (PowerShell)
Import a Certificate
Import-PfxCertificate -FilePath "C:\cert.pfx" -CertStoreLocation Cert:\LocalMachine\My
Check Expiry Dates
Get-ChildItem -Path Cert:\LocalMachine\My | Where-Object { $_.NotAfter -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(50) } | Select-Object Subject, NotAfter
4. Using Ansible for Automated Deployments
- name: Ensure Certbot is installed apt: name: certbot state: present <ul> <li>name: Run Certbot for a domain command: certbot certonly --standalone --non-interactive --agree-tos -m [email protected] -d example.com
Alternatives to Let’s Encrypt
- Sectigo ACME (Enterprise solution)
- DigiCert Automated Certificate Management
- Google Trust Services ACME
What Undercode Say
The French RGS certificate renewal bottleneck highlights a critical need for PKI modernization. While Let’s Encrypt offers a quick fix, enterprises should explore hybrid solutions combining internal PKI with ACME automation. The shift to shorter certificate lifespans (47 days) demands infrastructure agility, requiring DevSecOps integration and HSM-backed key management.
Expected Output:
A streamlined, automated certificate lifecycle management system reducing manual overhead while maintaining compliance.
Prediction:
Within 2-3 years, France will adopt a decentralized, automated PKI framework, reducing reliance on slow government processes and embracing zero-trust certificate issuance.
Relevant URL:
References:
Reported By: Pierre Antoine – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
