During a passive reconnaissance mission, you discover that the secure communication certificate used by the target organization's web server has been invalidated. Which option should you choose to most authoritatively confirm the current status of this certificate?
Inspect the browser's security panel while accessing the website for any security warnings.
Employ an automated scanning tool to analyze the server's encryption protocols and identify any invalidations.
Use the Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) to verify the current status directly from the issuing authority.
Conduct a WHOIS domain lookup to see if there is any mention of certificate invalidation.
The correct method to ascertain the live status of a digital certificate is to use the Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP), which checks with the issuing Certificate Authority for current revocation information. This is more reliable and timely than other methods such as Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs), which might not be updated immediately. Manually inspecting the browser for warnings or using a vulnerability scanner could yield some information, but these methods are not as direct, current, or authoritative as using OCSP. Additionally, WHOIS lookups provide domain registration details but do not provide information on certificate revocation statuses.
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What is the Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP)?
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