PKIt

PKIt is a software library designed to streamline Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) operations within applications. It provides APIs and tools to generate and manage cryptographic keys, create and sign X.509 certificates, and perform certificate validation and revocation checks. The library aims to simplify PKI integration by offering language bindings and a modular architecture that supports multiple storage backends and cryptographic providers.

Core components of PKIt include a key management subsystem for secure generation, storage, rotation, and export of keys; a certificate management subsystem for CSR generation, certificate issuance workflows, certificate lifecycles, and policy enforcement; and a trust store with certificate path validation, CRL/OCSP support, and revocation status checks. PKIt supports common formats such as PEM and DER and interoperates with standard PKI protocols and formats, including PKCS specifications.

Security and deployment considerations are central to PKIt. The library emphasizes secure defaults, comprehensive audit logging, and compatibility with hardware security modules and secure enclaves. Its design features pluggable backends for storage (filesystem, secure vaults, HSMs) and for cryptographic providers, enabling use in server backends, client applications, IoT devices, and automation scripts.

Common use cases for PKIt include automating internal certificate issuance within PKI workflows, managing long-term key rotation, and implementing automated certificate validation and revocation checks across microservices and distributed systems.

Development and availability: PKIt is an open-source project with ongoing development and community contributions. Documentation, examples, and source code are typically hosted on public repositories, with wide adoption in environments requiring programmable PKI tooling.