Latest Posts
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TLS Key Management: Choosing Cipher Suites, Certificate Lifetimes, and Negotiation Rules
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A TLS endpoint can have a valid certificate and still use a poor security configuration. The certificate identifies the server, but the handshake also decides how the connection establishes secrets and protects application data. Certificate renewal, cipher selection, and negotiation policy solve different parts of the problem. I find it useful to treat these as…
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PKI in Simple Terms: Certificates, CAs, CRLs, OCSP, Trust Stores
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When an application connects to an HTTPS server, it needs to verify that the server is really who it claims to be. Encrypting the connection is not enough. Without identity verification, an attacker could present their own encryption key and intercept the communication. This is one of the problems that Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) solves.…
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Key Management Planning: What Auditors Really Look For
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Encryption is usually one of the first things we think about when protecting sensitive data. We encrypt database fields, API credentials, files, backups, and communication between systems. But there is another question that is sometimes discussed much later: How are we protecting the encryption keys themselves? This is where key management becomes important. Having strong…
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How Issuers Authenticate Cards (and Send Commands Back)
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If you’ve worked with payment systems long enough, you’ve probably heard people say that an issuer simply “approves” or “declines” a transaction. While that is technically true, there is actually much more happening behind the scenes. An issuer does not only decide whether a transaction should be approved. It can also send instructions back to…
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How to Write a Key Management Policy (KMP): A Practical Template
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Introduction When people talk about security, encryption is usually one of the first things that comes to mind. We encrypt databases, files, backups, APIs, and network connections. But there is one question that is often forgotten. Who manages the encryption keys? Strong encryption becomes much less useful if the keys are stored carelessly, shared between…
About Me
Hi I’m Assi—I’m dedicated to advancing cashless payment technology and sharing insights with fellow developers and solution architects on my blog, Cashless Nomad.
I embrace a mobile lifestyle by replacing cash with digital payments, enabling seamless transactions anywhere. Going cashless keeps me connected, agile, and financially flexible—perfect for traveling light and skipping currency hassles.
Checkout my other blogs at marai.dev