Importing an Externally Created Private Key for a TLS Context

You can import an externally created private key for a TLS Context. If your organization's security policy requires keys to be generated and managed externally, you may need to import a private key (and device certificate) that were created outside the device, instead of generating the private on the device (as described in Generating a Private Key for a TLS Context).

This section describes how to import and assign an externally created private key to a TLS Context, and how to import the matching device certificate (if needed) provided by your security administrator.

● You can import an externally created private key to a TLS Context only if ACME-based certificate management is disabled for the TLS Context.
● It's not recommended to replace the private key. If you need to replace it, make sure that you're connected to the device over a physically secured network.
● The imported private key file must match the currently installed device certificate file (public key) for the TLS Context.
➢ To import an externally created private key to a TLS Context:
1. Obtain a private key in textual PEM (PKCS #7) or PFX (PKCS #12) format. The private key is typically provided by your security administrator. The file may be encrypted with a short passphrase.
2. Open the TLS Contexts table (see Configuring TLS Contexts).
3. Select the TLS Context.
4. Click Action, and then from the drop-down menu, choose Import Private Key; the following dialog box appears:

5. (Optional) In the 'Private key pass-phrase' field, enter the password for the encrypted private key file. If the file has no passphrase, leave the field blank.
● The passphrase can contain up to 32 characters.
● The passphrase can't contain wide characters.
● The default passphrase is audc.
6. Click OK, and then browse to and select the private key file on your computer; the device uploads the private key file and displays a message when complete.
7. Click Close to close the message.
8. If your security administrator has provided a device certificate file, import it into the TLS Context:
a. Select the TLS Context.
b. Click Action, and then from the drop-down menu, choose Import Device Certificate; the following dialog box appears:

c. Click Yes, and then browse to and select the device certificate file on your computer; the device uploads the device certificate and displays a message when complete.

d. Click Close to close the message.
9. Save configuration.
10. Verify that the private key is correct:
a. Select the TLS Context.
b. Verify that the 'Certificate Status' field displays "Keys match successfully". If it doesn't, consult with your security administrator: