Mastering Active Directory - Second Edition

Internal or public CAs

AD CS is not just a role that we can install on a server and leave to run. It take knowledge to set up and operate. It needs to be maintained as any other IT system is. It also needs backup and high availability. All this comes with a cost. Public CA certificates need to be purchased through a service provider. Each provider has many different types of certificates with different price ranges. It is important to evaluate these associated costs against your company's requirements. If the company is looking for a few web service certificates, there is no point in maintaining a few servers internally just for that. If a public CA can offer the same thing for $15, it makes sense to invest in that rather than wasting resources ...