Stage 1 · Weeks 17–19
Analyze & Architect
analyze → design → connect
CyberVisionaries Institute · Phase 3
PKI Architect Capstone
You are the PKI Architect for one assigned organization. Over eight weeks you analyze the environment, design the trust model, run certificate operations, test real workloads, respond to a live change, and defend every decision with evidence.
The workspace and guide require the student account your instructor enrolled. There is no public scenario catalog and no self-service sign-up.
The current capstone window has ended. Contact your instructor if you need to finish late or request a portfolio extension.
Student portal
Everything you need for the capstone is linked below. Start in the workspace; the guide explains each stage, the rubric, and defense expectations.
Capstone Workspace
Your assigned scenario, stage work, evidence, instructor feedback, and save/export.
Open workspaceStudent Guide
Role, weekly roadmap, checkpoints, 100-point rubric, glossary, and portfolio guidance.
Read the guidePortfolio Package
Generate a sanitized GitHub-ready zip from your saved work. Available inside the workspace.
Go to workspaceDefense Stage
Submit your portfolio and prepare for your live defense. Unlocks after you complete earlier stages.
Open DefendHow the capstone works
Stage 2 · Weeks 20–21
Certificate Operations
operate → automate
Stage 3 · Week 22
Workload Validation & Testing
validate → test
Stage 4 · Weeks 23–24
Change, Incident & Defense
adapt → defend
100-point rubric
Your final grade is built from these nine categories. Defense presentation quality is scored inside Evidence & presentation and Professional practice — no extra points are added.
10
Scenario analysis & requirements
20
Architecture & trust
10
Certificate strategy & ownership
15
Lifecycle & automation
10
Status & resilience
10
Workload integration & diagnosis
10
Change adaptation
10
Evidence & presentation
5
Professional practice & milestones
Total possible: 100 points
Weekly deadlines
Each deliverable is due 23:59 on the Friday of that week. Work is saved continuously in your workspace — the deadline is when it must be complete and evidenced.
Week 17 — Scenario Analysis & Requirements
Due Fri, Sep 11, 2026Read the brief, separate facts from assumptions, trace requirements.
Deliverable: Requirement register with traced sources.
Week 18 — Trust Model & PKI Hierarchy
Due Fri, Sep 18, 2026Root, intermediate and issuing authorities with key protection.
Deliverable: CA hierarchy with justification for every tier.
Week 19 — Infrastructure & Connectivity
Due Fri, Sep 25, 2026VMs, HSMs, zones and the paths between them.
Deliverable: Architecture that passes validation with findings dispositioned.
Week 20 — Certificate Strategy & Issuance
Due Fri, Oct 2, 2026Pools, profiles, ownership, request and approval flow.
Deliverable: Certificate profiles mapped to workloads.
Week 21 — Lifecycle Automation, CRL & OCSP
Due Fri, Oct 9, 2026Renewal, revocation and status freshness.
Deliverable: Lifecycle controls with failure behaviour recorded.
Week 22 — Workload Validation & Testing
Due Fri, Oct 16, 2026Run workloads, read failures, correct and re-test.
Deliverable: Passing runs plus the diagnostic history that got you there.
Week 23 — Change / Incident Response
Due Fri, Oct 23, 2026Respond to the released change, revalidate, record before and after.
Deliverable: Change response with re-test evidence and checkpoints.
Week 24 — Final Portfolio & Defense
Due Fri, Oct 30, 2026Assemble evidence and defend the decisions you made.
Deliverable: Submitted portfolio and live defense.
What strong work looks like
- Every design choice is traced to a requirement or a constraint in your brief.
- Failures are diagnosed, corrected and re-tested — not hidden.
- Change and incident response is evidenced before and after.
- You can defend the architecture out loud, without the diagram in front of you.
There is no single perfect diagram. Your capstone is individual: you see only your own assignment, and your work is private to you and your instructor.