The Windows SCEP Certificate Policy allows administrators to automatically deploy and manage SCEP (Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol) certificates on Windows devices enrolled in Swif.ai. This policy is commonly used to distribute client certificates for Wi-Fi, VPN, Zero Trust authentication, and certificate-based device identity.
This policy supports both company-owned and BYOD Windows devices.
When to Use This Policy
Use this policy when you need your Windows devices to automatically request, install, and update certificates from a SCEP server such as:
Okta Device Identity SCEP
Microsoft NDES / Intune SCEP
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)
EJBCA, JAMF, or custom PKI environments
Any RFC-compliant SCEP server
If your organization follows the Swif.ai guide for installing an Okta SCEP profile on Windows devices, this is the policy you will configure: Learn more ➡️ .
This policy ensures that the Windows device securely obtains a certificate from the SCEP server and stores it in the Windows certificate store.
Requirements
Windows 10 or later
A functioning SCEP server
SCEP server details (URL, challenge code, key usage settings, etc.)
Overview of Settings
Below are the configuration settings available in the Windows SCEP Certificate Policy.
SCEP Name
A friendly name for the certificate profile.
Example:
Okta SCEP
Retry Count
Number of retry attempts if enrollment is pending or fails.
Default: 3
Retry Delay
Delay in minutes between retry attempts.
Default: 5
Key Usage
Defines the certificate key usage bits.
Example values:
128→ Digital Signature160→ Digital Signature + Key Encipherment
Your SCEP server documentation will specify what is required.
Key Length
Private key length used in certificate creation.
Supported:
RSA 2048RSA 4096
Hash Algorithm
Hashing algorithm used in certificate signing.
Supported:
SHA-1SHA-2 family (SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512)
Multiple algorithms may be comma-separated.
Subject Name
The certificate subject (DN).
Example:
CN={deviceSerialNumber}, O=ExampleCorp, C=USSubject Alternative Name (SAN)
Additional identifiers to include in the certificate.
Supports:
DNS:{hostname}UPN:{email}EMAIL:{email}IP:{deviceIP}
Example:
DNS:{deviceHostname};UPN:{userPrincipalName}Multiple entries must be separated by semicolons.
Valid Period
Specifies the certificate validity period unit:
Days
Months
Years
Valid Period Units
Numeric value corresponding to the selected period.
Example:
Valid Period = Years
Valid Period Units = 1
→ Certificate is valid for 1 year.
EKU Mapping
Extended Key Usage items.
Example:
1.3.6.1.5.5.7.3.2
(Used for client authentication)
Multiple EKUs are comma-separated.
Key Protection
Where to store and protect the private key.
Options:
Private key saved in software KSP
Private key saved in TPM KSP (if supported)
Server URL
One or more SCEP enrollment server URLs.
Separate multiple URLs with a semicolon.
Example:
https://scep.example.com/scep;https://backup-scep.example.com/scep
Challenge
The SCEP enrollment challenge (password/token).
Provided by your SCEP provider (Okta, NDES, etc.).
Example:
myScepSharedSecret123
CA Thumbprint
Used to validate the CA certificate during enrollment.
This must be the SHA-1 thumbprint in hex format.
Example:
e3a1f3b2c4d597ab88e27d2f5549eaab234fe312
If the device cannot match this thumbprint to the returning CA certificate, enrollment will fail.
How to Use This Policy (Example: Okta SCEP)
When integrating with Okta Identity Engine for device certificates:
Configure Okta’s SCEP application.
Obtain:
SCEP URL
CA Thumbprint
SCEP Shared Secret (Challenge)
Create a new Windows SCEP Certificate Policy in Swif.ai.
Enter the above values in the policy fields.
Assign the policy to your Windows device group.
Devices will automatically enroll and install the certificate.
Full walkthrough:
➡️ https://help.swif.ai/en/articles/12611094-install-an-scep-profile-from-okta-to-windows-devices#h_c786698cb0
Troubleshooting
Certificate isn’t installing
Verify the SCEP URL is reachable from the device.
Ensure the CA thumbprint matches exactly.
Confirm the challenge value is valid.
Check Windows Event Viewer →
Applications and Services Logs / Microsoft / Windows / CertificateServices-Client-CertEnroll.
Device repeatedly retries enrollment
Increase retry delay.
Ensure the SCEP server is not returning “pending” status for too long.
Certificate shows wrong subject or SAN
Review the subject and SAN formatting.
Confirm placeholders like
{deviceHostname}are supported.
Best Practices
Use TPM-backed key protection for higher security when available.
Limit certificate validity to 1 year or less following modern security recommendations.
Use multiple SCEP URLs for redundancy.
Use this policy with:
Wi-Fi EAP-TLS
VPN certificate authentication
Zero-trust device verification