Code of Partnership

Welcome to the Code of Partnership for the Open Industrial PKI! We appreciate your interest in actively participating and contributing to the development of this free service that provides managed X.509 certificates to the industrial community.

Code of Contribution

This Code of Contribution serves to guide organizations that want to get involved and make meaningful contributions to Open Industrial PKI. By actively participating in the network, attending meetings, reviewing the Certificate Policy (CP) and Certification Practice Statement (CPS), and providing feedback, you will play a critical role in shaping the future of the service.

• Active participation: Organizations should actively participate in the Open Industrial PKI community. Attend meetings, webinars, and conferences related to the Competence Network. This will help you stay informed about the latest developments, updates, and ongoing discussions.

• Provide feedback: Review the Certificate Policy (CP) and Certification Practice Statement (CPS) documents provided by Open Industrial PKI. Share your feedback, suggestions, and recommendations for improvement. This will help to continually improve and refine the network’s policies and practices.

• Collaborate with the community: Participate in the discussions and forums provided by Open Industrial PKI. Contribute your expertise, insights and knowledge to help address challenges and find innovative solutions. Actively engage with other members, share experiences and foster a collaborative environment.

• Promote Open Industrial PKI: Help raise awareness of Open Industrial PKI within your industrial network. Share information about the service, its benefits, and how it can improve digital security in the industrial sector. Encourage other organizations to join and actively participate in the network.

• Contribute to the documentation: Offer your expertise to review and improve the documentation provided by Open Industrial PKI. This includes technical guides, tutorials, and any other resources that can help organizations understand and effectively implement the service.

• Assist with testing and validation: Participate in testing and validation efforts for new features, interfaces, or certificate templates. Provide feedback on usability, functionality, and interoperability to help ensure a robust and reliable service.

• Encourage collaboration: Actively engage with other organizations using Open Industrial PKI. Collaborate on joint projects, initiatives, or research efforts to collectively advance digital security in the industrial sector. Share experiences and learn from others.

• Develop tools and utilities: Create and contribute tools, libraries, or utilities that can enhance the Open Industrial PKI ecosystem. These could be SDKs, command line interfaces, automation scripts, or integrations with existing security frameworks or industrial systems.

• Support training and education: Contribute to training materials, workshops, or educational resources related to Open Industrial PKI. Offer your expertise to conduct training sessions or webinars that educate industrial professionals about X.509 certificates, digital security best practices, and the benefits of Open Industrial PKI.

• Report bugs and issues: If you encounter bugs, problems, or vulnerabilities while using Open Industrial PKI, report them immediately to the network administrators. Provide detailed information, steps to reproduce the problem, and any relevant logs or error messages. This will help improve the reliability and stability of the service.

Becoming a partner

To join the Open Industrial PKI competence network, organizations are required to follow a simple application process. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Prepare the Application: Gather all the necessary information and documentation required for the membership application. This may include details about your organization, such as its legal name, contact information, business ID, and a brief description of its activities and involvement in the industrial sector.

2. Write an Application Email: Send a formal email expressing your organization’s interest in becoming a member of the Open Industrial PKI competence network to open.industrial.pki@campus-schwarzwald.de.

3. Await Application Review: Once your application is received, Campus Schwarzwald, the organization responsible for operating Open Industrial PKI, will review it. The review process may involve assessing your organization’s qualifications, verifying the provided information, and evaluating how well it aligns with the network’s objectives. In case of possible questions we will come back to you

4. Membership Confirmation: If your application is approved, you will receive a membership confirmation from Campus Schwarzwald. The confirmation will typically be sent via email and may include further instructions or details regarding your membership status and next steps.

After receiving membership confirmation from Open Industrial PKI, there are a few additional steps to follow. These steps will help establish your organization’s presence within the Competence Network and facilitate effective collaboration. Here’s a guide to the next steps:

• Designate a Point of Contact: Open Industrial PKI requires a designated point of contact within your organization. This person will be responsible for coordinating communications and representing your organization’s interests within the network. Provide Open Industrial PKI with the contact information for this person, including name, position, email address, and phone number.

• Submit an organization logo: To increase visibility and recognition, Open Industrial PKI requests the submission of your organization’s logo. The logo should be provided in a high quality format suitable for digital and print media. Please ensure that the logo represents your organization’s brand identity and is consistent with any existing branding guidelines.

• Organization Description: Open Industrial PKI would like to showcase participating organizations on its website and in other promotional materials. Prepare a concise and informative organizational description that highlights your organization’s activities, expertise, and contributions to the industrial sector. The description should capture the essence of your organization’s commitment to digital security.

Please send the above information to open.industrial.pki@campus-schwarzwald.de.

• General Press Release: Open Industrial PKI will create a press release announcing your organization’s membership. The purpose of this press release is to introduce your organization to the wider community and to raise awareness of your participation in the Competence Network. The press release will typically include relevant details about your organization and the benefits it brings to the Open Industrial PKI community.

Exclusion of Partnership

The Open Industrial PKI values a collaborative and inclusive environment that promotes mutual benefit and growth for all partners. However, under certain circumstances, organizations may be excluded from the partnership. Exclusion is a serious measure taken to maintain the integrity and adherence to the principles of the network.

• Exclusion Process: Open Industrial PKI recognizes that maintaining a high standard of participation and adherence to the goals of the Network is essential to the success of the Competency Network. In exceptional cases, exclusion of an organization may be considered if its actions or behavior are deemed detrimental to the overall goals of the Network, or if it significantly deviates from the established principles and guidelines.

• Exclusion Criteria: Exclusion from the Open Industrial PKI Partnership requires careful consideration and a comprehensive evaluation of the situation at hand. The specific criteria for exclusion may vary depending on the nature and severity of the issue. Common factors that may trigger the exclusion process include breach of trust, violation of ethical standards, or actions that compromise the security and reputation of the network and its partners.

• Decision to Exclude: The decision to exclude an organization from the Open Industrial PKI Partnership is not made lightly. To ensure fairness and transparency, a 2/3 majority vote of the existing partners is required. This voting process allows the partners to collectively assess the situation, carefully consider the available information, and determine whether exclusion is warranted. The 2/3 requirement ensures that the decision is based on broad consensus and represents the collective interests of the network.

Amendment of the Code of Partnership

Changes to the Code of Partnership require the approval of all partners within the partnership.

Any partner proposing an amendment must present it in writing to all other partners, stating the nature and reasons behind the proposed changes.

All partners shall thoroughly review and discuss the proposed amendment, aiming for a comprehensive understanding of its impact on the Partnership.

Partners express their consent or objection in writing. Unanimous consent is required for approval, and any objection prevents the amendment from being adopted.

Documentation of proposed amendments, consents, and objections shall be maintained for transparency and reference.