diff --git a/testing/certutil/certutil.go b/testing/certutil/certutil.go
index 075460ed..5c8d6956 100644
--- a/testing/certutil/certutil.go
+++ b/testing/certutil/certutil.go
@@ -51,16 +51,16 @@ func NewRootCA() (*ecdsa.PrivateKey, *x509.Certificate, Pair, error) {
 		return nil, nil, Pair{}, fmt.Errorf("could not create private key: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	notBefore := time.Now()
-	notAfter := notBefore.Add(3 * time.Hour)
+	notBefore, notAfter := makeNotBeforeAndAfter()
 
 	rootTemplate := x509.Certificate{
-		DNSNames:     []string{"localhost"},
-		IPAddresses:  []net.IP{net.ParseIP("127.0.0.1")},
 		SerialNumber: big.NewInt(1653),
 		Subject: pkix.Name{
-			Organization: []string{"Gallifrey"},
-			CommonName:   "localhost",
+			Country:            []string{"Gallifrey"},
+			Locality:           []string{"The Capitol"},
+			OrganizationalUnit: []string{"Time Lords"},
+			Organization:       []string{"High Council of the Time Lords"},
+			CommonName:         "High Council",
 		},
 		NotBefore:             notBefore,
 		NotAfter:              notAfter,
@@ -125,16 +125,16 @@ func NewRootCA() (*ecdsa.PrivateKey, *x509.Certificate, Pair, error) {
 // If any error occurs during the generation process, a non-nil error is returned.
 func GenerateChildCert(name string, ips []net.IP, caPrivKey crypto.PrivateKey, caCert *x509.Certificate) (*tls.Certificate, Pair, error) {
 
-	notBefore := time.Now()
-	notAfter := notBefore.Add(3 * time.Hour)
+	notBefore, notAfter := makeNotBeforeAndAfter()
 
 	certTemplate := &x509.Certificate{
 		DNSNames:     []string{name},
 		IPAddresses:  ips,
 		SerialNumber: big.NewInt(1658),
 		Subject: pkix.Name{
-			Organization: []string{"Gallifrey"},
-			CommonName:   name,
+			Locality:     []string{"anywhere in time and space"},
+			Organization: []string{"TARDIS"},
+			CommonName:   "Police Public Call Box",
 		},
 		NotBefore: notBefore,
 		NotAfter:  notAfter,
@@ -212,3 +212,10 @@ func NewRootAndChildCerts() (Pair, Pair, error) {
 
 	return rootPair, childPair, nil
 }
+
+func makeNotBeforeAndAfter() (time.Time, time.Time) {
+	now := time.Now()
+	notBefore := now.Add(-1 * time.Minute)
+	notAfter := now.Add(7 * 24 * time.Hour)
+	return notBefore, notAfter
+}
diff --git a/testing/certutil/cmd/main.go b/testing/certutil/cmd/main.go
index d833d689..fb0ae64d 100644
--- a/testing/certutil/cmd/main.go
+++ b/testing/certutil/cmd/main.go
@@ -19,20 +19,23 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"crypto"
+	"crypto/rand"
 	"crypto/tls"
 	"crypto/x509"
+	"encoding/pem"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/elastic/elastic-agent-libs/testing/certutil"
 )
 
 func main() {
-	var caPath, caKeyPath, dest, name, ipList string
+	var caPath, caKeyPath, dest, name, ipList, filePrefix, pass string
 	flag.StringVar(&caPath, "ca", "",
 		"File path for CA in PEM format")
 	flag.StringVar(&caKeyPath, "ca-key", "",
@@ -43,6 +46,10 @@ func main() {
 		"used as \"distinguished name\" and \"Subject Alternate Name values\" for the child certificate")
 	flag.StringVar(&ipList, "ips", "127.0.0.1",
 		"a comma separated list of IP addresses for the child certificate")
+	flag.StringVar(&filePrefix, "prefix", "current timestamp",
+		"a prefix to be added to the file name. If not provided a timestamp will be used")
+	flag.StringVar(&pass, "pass", "",
+		"a passphrase to encrypt the certificate key")
 	flag.Parse()
 
 	if caPath == "" && caKeyPath != "" || caPath != "" && caKeyPath == "" {
@@ -52,6 +59,16 @@ func main() {
 			caPath, caKeyPath)
 
 	}
+	if filePrefix == "" {
+		filePrefix = fmt.Sprintf("%d", time.Now().Unix())
+	}
+	filePrefix += "-"
+
+	wd, err := os.Getwd()
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Printf("error getting current working directory: %v\n", err)
+	}
+	fmt.Println("files will be witten to:", wd)
 
 	ips := strings.Split(ipList, ",")
 	var netIPs []net.IP
@@ -61,7 +78,6 @@ func main() {
 
 	var rootCert *x509.Certificate
 	var rootKey crypto.PrivateKey
-	var err error
 	if caPath == "" && caKeyPath == "" {
 		var pair certutil.Pair
 		rootKey, rootCert, pair, err = certutil.NewRootCA()
@@ -69,17 +85,50 @@ func main() {
 			panic(fmt.Errorf("could not create root CA certificate: %w", err))
 		}
 
-		savePair(dest, "ca", pair)
+		savePair(dest, filePrefix+"ca", pair)
 	} else {
 		rootKey, rootCert = loadCA(caPath, caKeyPath)
 	}
 
-	_, childPair, err := certutil.GenerateChildCert(name, netIPs, rootKey, rootCert)
+	childCert, childPair, err := certutil.GenerateChildCert(name, netIPs, rootKey, rootCert)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(fmt.Errorf("error generating child certificate: %w", err))
 	}
 
-	savePair(dest, name, childPair)
+	savePair(dest, filePrefix+name, childPair)
+
+	if pass == "" {
+		return
+	}
+
+	fmt.Printf("passphrase present, encrypting \"%s\" certificate key\n",
+		name)
+	err = os.WriteFile(filePrefix+name+"-passphrase", []byte(pass), 0o600)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Errorf("error writing passphrase file: %w", err))
+	}
+
+	key, err := x509.MarshalPKCS8PrivateKey(childCert.PrivateKey)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Errorf("error getting ecdh.PrivateKey from the child's private key: %w", err))
+	}
+
+	encPem, err := x509.EncryptPEMBlock( //nolint:staticcheck // we need to drop support for this, but while we don't, it needs to be tested.
+		rand.Reader,
+		"EC PRIVATE KEY",
+		key,
+		[]byte(pass),
+		x509.PEMCipherAES128)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Errorf("failed encrypting agent child certificate key block: %v", err))
+	}
+
+	certKeyEnc := pem.EncodeToMemory(encPem)
+
+	err = os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dest, filePrefix+name+"_enc-key.pem"), certKeyEnc, 0o600)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Errorf("could not save %s certificate encrypted key: %w", filePrefix+name+"_enc-key.pem", err))
+	}
 }
 
 func loadCA(caPath string, keyPath string) (crypto.PrivateKey, *x509.Certificate) {