The CA/Browser Forum Baseline Requirements (BRs) are mandatory standards that Certificate Authorities must follow to issue publicly-trusted SSL/TLS certificates. Here's what you need to know:

Key Points:

• Established in 2012 to create uniform, transparent rules for certificate issuance
• Required for CAs to be included in major browser root stores
• Updated regularly through ballot system with both minor and major changes

The BRs cover several critical areas:

• Domain validation procedures
• Certificate field requirements
• Organization validation methods
• Physical and IT security requirements
• Maximum certificate validity periods
• Certificate Practice Statement (CPS) compliance

Enforcement:

• Browser root programs enforce compliance, not CA/Browser Forum itself
• Non-compliance can result in:
  • Mandatory public incident reporting
  • Community scrutiny and investigation
  • Potential browser distrust (worst case)

CAs must:

• Publicly report any BR violations
• Document practices in their CPS
• Maintain transparency
• Train employees on BR compliance
• Respond to community questions about incidents

The Baseline Requirements continue evolving to address new security challenges and clarify existing rules, helping maintain trust in the public PKI ecosystem.

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