DigiCert Software Trust Manager vs OpenPubkey

DigiCert Software Trust Manager governs and automates software signing across artifacts, tools, and teams. Signing workflows can run after security checks and cover containers, binaries, and other artifacts, including Windows packages, Java archives, Android APK/AAB files, and macOS application and installer formats. Teams can use Signing Manager Controller, command-line tools, or the Click-to-sign graphical application, and connect workflows through native connectors, GitHub Actions, CLI tools, and APIs. Role- and team-based access, policy templates, workflows, and approvals govern high-risk signing actions. Logs link signed items to an actor and time for audits and incident response. Keys can be stored in FIPS 140-2 Level 3 or Common Criteria EAL4+ HSMs, with regional storage options. Threat detection includes software composition analysis, static binary analysis, Apple notarization scans, and DAST. Use requires a DigiCert ONE host environment, API key, client authentication certificate, and certificate password; two-factor authentication is required for all users. Pricing is on request, and a 30-day trial is listed.

OpenPubkey binds a user or workload identity established through OpenID Connect to a public key, so the identity can sign messages or artifacts. A PK Token represents control of an OIDC identity and its related private key at a particular time, provided the verifier trusts the identity provider. The project lists Google, Azure/Microsoft, Okta, OneLogin and Keycloak as compatible without changes to those providers; however, its client and verifier currently create and verify tokens from Google for users and GitHub for workloads. Current workload identity use requires GQ signatures. For user identity, they are unnecessary when the PK Token is not public. GQ signatures allow the identity provider’s signature to be stripped from an ID Token while preserving proof of that signature, preventing use against OIDC resource providers. OpenPubkey says it needs no additional certificate authority because the OpenID Provider fulfills that role. Public PK Tokens can reveal claims from an OIDC ID Token, potentially including a name or email address. The project is free under the Apache 2.0 license and is a Linux Foundation project; its repository says it is being prepared for version 1.0. The project directs technical questions to GitHub issues and offers a community Slack channel.