ZyXEL Communications ZyXEL ZyWALL P1 - Manual (Page 153)

ZyWALL P1 User’s Guide
152 Chapter 10 Certificates
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 A directory of certificates that have been revoked before the scheduled expiration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).
10.1.1 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.
10.2 Self-signed Certificates
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.
10.3 Configuration Summary
This section summarizes how to manage certificates on the ZyWALL.
Figure 61 Certificate Configuration Overview
• 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).
10.4 My Certificates
Click CERTIFICATES, My Certificates to open the ZyWALL’s summary list of certificates
and certification requests. Certificates display in black and certification requests display in
gray. See the following figure.