PKI maturity model

The objective of this document is to provide a definition of the PKI maturity model and describe the maturity assessment process and procedures in order to rate the current maturity level according to the model and to track progress.

Maturity model

The maturity model is based on the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) developed by Carnegie Mellon University. It should provide the following:

Quickly understand the current level of capabilities and performance of the PKI
Support comparison of PKI maturity with similar organizations based on size or industry (anonymized)
Guidance on how to improve the capabilities of the current PKI
Improve overall PKI performance

Maturity levels

The maturity model consists of several categories which are directly associated with the PKI and covers all aspects and activities (people, processes, technology). Based on the maturity model parts, the overall maturity level is determined as a single value representing the current state of capabilities and performance.

Each category can be separately assessed for its maturity level. Maturity levels are generally defined as follows:

Maturity level	Short description
Initial	Unpredictable process with poor control and always reactive
Basic	Process is characterized by each particular case or project and controls are often reactive
Advanced	Process is characterized by organizational standards and controls are proactive
Managed	Processes are measured and controlled, proactive approach
Optimized	Continuous improvement of the processes and procedures, proactive approach for future technology improvement

For a complete description of each maturity level, refer to Levels Description.

Structure of the model

The maturity model is divided into modules and modules are divided into several categories that cover aspects and activities related to the PKI (people, process, technology). The overall maturity level is determined based on the maturity of the categories.

For more information refer to:

The following diagram shows the structure of the model:

classDiagram
    direction TB
    class PKIMM["PKI maturity levels"]{
        Initial
        Basic
        Advanced
        Managed
        Optimized
    }
    class Modules["Modules"]{
        Governance
        Management
        Operations
        Resources
    }
    class Governance["Governance module"]{
        Strategy and vision
        Policies and documentation
        Compliance
        Processes and procedures
    }
    class Management["Management module"]{
        Key Management
        Certificate Management
        Infrastructure Management
        Change Management and Agility
    }
    class Operations["Operations module"]{
        Resilience
        Automation
        Interoperability
        Monitoring and Auditing
    }
    class Resources["Resources module"]{
        Sourcing
        Knowledge and Training
        Awareness
    }
    class Categories["Categories"]{
        Strategy and vision
        Policies and documentation
        Compliance
        Processes and procedures
        Key management
        Certificate management
        Interoperability
        Infrastructure management
        Change management and agility
        Sourcing
        Knowledge and training
        Monitoring and auditing
        Automation
        Awareness
        Resilience
    }
    PKIMM <-- Modules
    Modules <-- Governance
    Modules <-- Management
    Modules <-- Operations
    Modules <-- Resources
    Governance <-- Categories
    Management <-- Categories
    Operations <-- Categories
    Resources <-- Categories