X9 Financial PKI: ASC X9, DigiCert Create New Cryptographic Trust Framework for Modern Enterprises
New X9 Trust Infrastructure Offers Independent Alternative to Browser-Based Security Across All Industries
DigiCert, a leading global provider of digital trust, and the Accredited Standards Committee X9 (ASC X9) have announced the successful launch of the X9 Financial PKI production environment, marked by a formal key signing ceremony. This milestone activates the X9 root certificate infrastructure and paves the way for issuing digital certificates for a variety of use cases.
The X9 Financial PKI arrives at a critical moment for organisations navigating an increasingly complex trust landscape. In addition to long-standing interoperability challenges and the looming threat of quantum computing, new browser-driven changes are accelerating the need for modernisation. Starting in 2029, major browser manufacturers will require TLS certificates to be renewed every 47 days—forcing organisations to adopt automation and agility in their certificate management processes. Meanwhile, Google Chrome has announced enforcement policies that will stop support for the use of public TLS (web server) certificates for client authentication.
“This launch is more than a technical milestone—it’s a signal to the broader industry that digital trust infrastructure must evolve beyond legacy dependencies,” said Steve Stevens, Executive Director at ASC X9. “The X9 Financial PKI will enable organisations across sectors to collaborate securely and confidently, free from the limitations of browser-based certificate models.
Marking a More Secure Future
“The key signing ceremony marks the start of a more secure and interoperable future for organisations that rely on trusted digital communication—from banks and payment providers to healthcare networks, manufacturers, and connected infrastructure operators,” said Dean Coclin, Senior Director of Digital Trust at DigiCert. “Through this partnership, these organisations gain a flexible, policy-driven PKI foundation that simplifies risk management and supports infrastructure modernisation while helping them prepare for quantum-era threats.”
The X9 Financial PKI addresses longstanding challenges with browser-controlled certificate models, which were never designed to support complex, non-web use-cases such as payment terminal interoperability on the financial services side, or more broadly, on secure device communication and cross-enterprise authentication. By decoupling from browser trust roots, the X9 infrastructure gives organisations autonomy to define policies and trust models tailored to their needs.
Key Benefits of the X9 Financial PKI
Among the key benefits o the X9 Financial PKI are as follows:
- Independence from browser-based PKI, offering organisations full control over trust and usage policies.
- Interoperability across multiple industries, from finance and retail to IoT, payments, and smart infrastructure.
- Cross-certification capabilities, allowing integration with existing PKIs under a shared root of trust.
As the operator of the PKI service, DigiCert completed a competitive bidding process to ensure alignment with the technical, operational, and governance standards defined in the X9 Certificate Policy. Following a rigorous review—covering audits, testing, and overall value to X9—DigiCert was selected as the exclusive provider of certificates for X9.
