A method and device is provided for dynamically maintaining and updating public key infrastructure (PKI) certificate path data across remote trusted domains to enable relying parties to efficiently authenticate other nodes in an autonomous ad-hoc network. A certificate path management unit (CPMU) monitors a list of sources for an occurrence of a life cycle event capable of altering an existing PKI certificate path data. Upon determining that the life cycle event has occurred, the CPMU calculates a new PKI certificate path data to account for the occurrence of the life cycle event and provides the new PKI certificate path data to at least one of a relying party in a local domain or a remote CPMU in a remote domain.