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Network and Certificate System Security Requirements

Network and Certificate System Security Requirements

On 3 August 2012 the CA/Browser Forum adopted the original Network and Certificate System Security Requirements with an effective date of 1 January 2013. Since then, the Network and Certificate System Security Requirements (NCSSRs) have outlined best practices for the general protection of CA networks and supporting systems, including those touching on trusted roles, delegated third parties, system accounts, logging, monitoring, alerting, vulnerability detection and patch management within a CA’s infrastructure.

Current Version

Network and Certificate System Security Requirements v2.0.5 (redlined) (adopted with Ballot NS-008)

Previous Versions

Network and Certificate System Security Requirements v2.0.4 (redlined) (adopted with Ballot NS-007)

Network and Certificate System Security Requirements v2.0.3 (redlined) (adopted with Ballot NS-006)

Network and Certificate System Security Requirements v2.0.2 (redlined) (adopted with Ballot NS-004)

Network and Certificate System Security Requirements v2.0.1 (redlined) (adopted with Ballot NS-005)

Network and Certificate System Security Requirements v2.0 (redlined) (adopted with Ballot NS-003)

Network Security Controls v1.7 (redlined) (adopted with Ballot SC41)

Network Security Controls v1.6 (redlined) (adopted with Ballot SC39)

CABForum_Network_Security_Controls_v.1.5 (redlined)(adopted with Ballot SC28)

CABForum_Network_Security_Controls_v.1.4 (redlined)(adopted with Ballot SC29)

CABForum_Network_Security_Controls_v.1.3 (redlined)(adopted with Ballot SC21)

CABForum_Network_Security_Controls_v.1.2 (redlined) (adopted with Ballot SC3)

CABForum_Network_Security_Controls_v.1.1 corrected (adopted with Ballot 210)

CABForum_Network_Security_Controls_v.1.1 corrected-redlined

Network_Security_Controls_V1 (adopted with Ballot 83)

Latest releases
Code Signing Requirements
v3.8 - Aug 5, 2024

What’s Changed CSC-25: Import EV Guidelines to CS Baseline Requirements by @dzacharo in https://github.com/cabforum/code-signing/pull/38 Full Changelog: https://github.com/cabforum/code-signing/compare/v3.7...v3.8

S/MIME Requirements
v1.0.10 - Ballot SMC012 - Jul 2, 2025

Introduces a new method for validation of mailbox control, using ACME for S/MIME as defined in RFC 8823: Extensions to Automatic Certificate Management Environment for End-User S/MIME Certificates.

Network and Certificate System Security Requirements
Version 2.0.5 (Ballot NS-008) - Jul 9, 2025

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The Certification Authority Browser Forum (CA/Browser Forum) is a voluntary gathering of Certificate Issuers and suppliers of Internet browser software and other applications that use certificates (Certificate Consumers).