Prerequisites:

1. PRTG Installation: Ensure PRTG Network Monitor is installed and operational in your environment.
2. Access to SSL/TLS Endpoints: You need access to the SSL/TLS endpoints (e.g., web servers, application servers) where SSL/TLS certificates are deployed.
3. Administrator Access: Obtain administrative privileges to configure sensors and settings in PRTG.

Setting Up SSL/TLS Certificate Monitoring:

1. Add SSL/TLS Endpoint(s): In PRTG, navigate to "Devices" and add the SSL/TLS endpoint(s) you wish to monitor.
2. Install SSL/TLS Certificate Sensor: Click on the SSL/TLS endpoint device you added, then go to "Add Sensor" > "By Type" > Select "SSL Certificate Sensor."
3. Configure Sensor Parameters: Define the parameters for monitoring, including the hostname or IP address of the SSL/TLS endpoint, port number, and monitoring intervals.
4. Select Monitoring Metrics: Choose the monitoring metrics you want to track, such as certificate issuer authority, certificate expiration date, certificate chain, and key length.
5. Test Configuration: Verify that the sensors can successfully retrieve SSL/TLS certificate information and monitor issuer authority.

Monitoring SSL/TLS Certificate Issuer Authority:

1. Real-time Monitoring: Access the PRTG dashboard to view real-time updates on SSL/TLS certificate issuer authority.
2. Certificate Issuer Authority: Monitor SSL/TLS certificate issuer authority to verify that certificates are issued by reputable and trusted certificate authorities (CAs) and comply with industry standards and best practices.
3. Certificate Chain Validation: Track the certificate chain for SSL/TLS certificates to ensure that certificates are issued by trusted intermediate and root CAs and that the certificate chain is properly configured and validated.
4. Trusted CA List: Maintain a list of trusted certificate authorities (CAs) and validate SSL/TLS certificates against this list to ensure that only certificates issued by trusted CAs are accepted and trusted by client devices.
5. Threshold-based Alerts: Set up threshold-based alerts to notify administrators when SSL/TLS certificates are issued by untrusted or unknown certificate authorities, when certificates expire, or when anomalies are detected, indicating potential security risks or certificate misconfigurations.

Best Practices:

1. Certificate Authority Verification: Verify SSL/TLS certificate issuer authority against trusted certificate authority (CA) lists and ensure that SSL/TLS certificates are issued by reputable and recognized CAs to prevent the use of self-signed or untrusted certificates.
2. Certificate Transparency Monitoring: Enable certificate transparency monitoring to detect and validate SSL/TLS certificates against publicly logged certificate transparency logs and ensure transparency and accountability in certificate issuance and management processes.
3. Regular Certificate Audits: Conduct regular audits of SSL/TLS certificates to verify issuer authority, expiration dates, and certificate chain integrity and address any discrepancies or anomalies promptly.
4. Certificate Revocation Checking: Implement certificate revocation checking mechanisms to validate the revocation status of SSL/TLS certificates and ensure that revoked certificates are not trusted or accepted by client devices.
5. Certificate Pinning: Implement certificate pinning policies to specify the exact SSL/TLS certificates trusted by client applications and prevent man-in-the-middle attacks or certificate spoofing attempts.

Troubleshooting:

1. Connection Issues: Ensure that PRTG can establish HTTPS connections to the SSL/TLS endpoints and retrieve certificate information successfully.
2. Sensor Configuration: Double-check sensor settings, including hostname or IP address, port number, and monitoring intervals, and verify that the correct sensor type is used for monitoring SSL/TLS certificates.
3. Certificate Issuer Validation: Verify SSL/TLS certificate issuer authority against trusted CA lists and validate certificate chains to ensure that certificates are issued by trusted CAs and comply with industry standards and best practices.
4. Certificate Transparency Logs: Review certificate transparency logs to verify the issuance and logging of SSL/TLS certificates and detect any discrepancies or anomalies in certificate issuance processes.
5. Certificate Revocation Checking: Implement certificate revocation checking mechanisms to verify the revocation status of SSL/TLS certificates and ensure that revoked certificates are not trusted or accepted by client devices.

By leveraging PRTG Network Monitor to monitor SSL/TLS certificate issuer authority, you can ensure the authenticity and trustworthiness of SSL/TLS certificates deployed across network endpoints. Real-time monitoring, proactive alerting, and comprehensive analysis enable you to detect and address certificate issuer authority issues promptly, strengthen cryptographic defenses, and safeguard sensitive data transmitted over the network. With PRTG, you can efficiently manage and monitor SSL/TLS certificate issuer authority to meet the operational requirements and security goals of your organization.