Amazon Trust Services – Definition & Overview

Introduction

Amazon Trust Services (ATS) is a public Certificate Authority (CA) functioned by Amazon Web Services. It issues digital certificates that validate the identity of a website or server, qualifying secure communication over the Internet.

Furthermore, these certificates are vital for encrypting web traffic and protecting sensitive data, such as login credentials and financial information.

Types of Certificates Offered by Amazon Trust Services:

Domain Validation (DV) certificates:

These are the basic types of certificates which are easy to obtain. They only authenticate the ownership of the domain name.

Organization Validation (OV) certificates:

This type of certificate requires further validation than DV certificates, including verifying the organization’s identity and existence.

Extended Validation (EV) certificates:

They are the most stern type of certificates and require extensive validation. They display a green address bar in web browsers, providing website visitors the utmost level of trust and confidence.

How Does Amazon Trust Services Work?

When someone requests a certificate from ATS, it goes through a stringent examining process to ensure the applicant’s legitimacy. Upon approval, trust services issue a digital certificate containing information about the website or server, such as its domain and organization names.

Subsequently, the CA, a trusted authority recognized by many web browsers and operating systems, authenticates the certificate.

Moreover, when a user visits a website with an ATS-issued certificate, their browser verifies its authenticity by checking its chain of trust back to the root CA. If everything is legal, the browser encrypts all communication and establishes a secure connection with the website.

How do you Acquire an Amazon Trust Services Certificate?

An applicant can acquire the ATS certificate through the AWS Certificate Manager service. This service lets users easily request, provision, and manage their SSL certificates.

Benefits of Amazon Trust Services:

Using Amazon Trust Services to procure digital certificates offers several benefits, mainly for organizations operating within the Amazon Web Services environment. Here are some vital advantages:

1. Security:

• SSL/TLS Encryption: ATS provides SSL/TLS certificates for securing communication between servers and clients. Such encryption aids protect sensitive data from interference and unauthorized access during transit.
• Code Signing: For software developers, ATS provides code signing certificates to ensure the integrity and authenticity of code. Hence, it reduces the risk of tampering or malicious alterations.

2. Integration with AWS Services:

• ATS is firmly integrated with various AWS services, making it stress-free for users to deploy and manage certificates for their applications and websites hosted on AWS infrastructure.

3. Simplified Certificate Management:

• Automation: It supports automated certificate issuance and renewal, limiting the administrative burden on organizations. Automation guarantees that certificates are always up-to-date and diminishes the risk of certificate expiration.
• AWS Certificate Manager (ACM): These certificates can be easily managed through AWS Certificate Manager, providing a centralized and user-friendly interface for handling certificates across AWS services.

4. Global Reach:

• With a globally spread infrastructure, the service can issue certificates with a global reach. This is chiefly important for organizations in multiple regions, ensuring that users worldwide can access secure and authenticated services.

5. Cost-Efficiency:

• For AWS customers, the use of ATS may be cost-effective. AWS Certificate Manager proposes a free tier for standard SSL/TLS certificates, and there may be cost advantages for certain use cases.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Amazon Trust Services is a robust certificate authority service provided by Amazon Web Services, offering various benefits for organizations seeking secure and trusted digital certificates.

By leveraging this service, businesses can enrich the security of their online communications, build trust with users, and streamline the management of digital certificates, particularly within the AWS ecosystem.

Furthermore, integrating ATS with AWS services, automation capabilities, and adherence to industry standards contribute to its effectiveness in meeting the evolving security desires of modern applications and websites.