Case Study: KCF Technologies strengthens OpenVPN security and replaces passwords with certificates with SmallStep

KCF Technologies improved OpenVPN security for embedded devices

KCF Technologies, a machine health company, faced a challenge with securing the cloud connections for its industrial base stations. Their existing OpenVPN authentication relied on passwords, which they sought to replace with a more robust, certificate-based method to improve security. To solve this, they turned to the vendor Smallstep and its certificate authority solution.

By implementing Smallstep's toolchain, KCF Technologies automated certificate issuance using various provisioners for different use cases, including authenticating base stations and developers. The solution improved security, streamlined collaboration with their hardware team, and simplified infrastructure management. The team reported that Smallstep provided a complete and polished toolchain, making it much easier to implement certificates and securing their product for future generations.

KCF Technologies

J. Hunter Hawke

Cybersecurity Analyst