What happens when your SSL certificate expires & how to renew

You know that SSL certificates are indispensable in keeping your website safe and secure. What happens, then, if your SSL certificates expire? This is a common problem that many businesses and websites face; after dedicating a lot of time and effort toward securing these certificates, they suddenly appear to be past their prime. When this happens, the pitfalls and vulnerabilities can be detrimental.

To highlight the need for renewal, we've compiled a guide to all aspects of SSL certificate expiration, including:

• What it means when an SSL certificate expires and the associated risks.
• Why SSL certificates expire and how long they last.
• How to avoid an expired SSL certificate.
• Steps for proper SSL certificate renewal.

What does it mean when an SSL certificate expires?

An SSL certificate provides powerful validation for your digital identity while securing the connections between web pages and browsers. Short for Secure Sockets Layer, an SSL certificate is typically issued by a certificate authority (CA) to the requesting party but is limited in duration of how long it lasts.

SSL certificates must be regularly renewed to ensure they continue providing effective validation and protection over time.

When an SSL certificate expires, it means that the certificate is no longer valid. This causes disruption to the secure connection between a website and its visitors and can mean that sensitive data such as login credentials, payment information, or personal details, are not secure. As a result, communications are no longer encrypted and can become vulnerable to interception, tampering, or eavesdropping. Modern web browsers will display warning messages to users attempting to access a site with an expired security certificate. This can erode users’ trust and deter visitors from continuing to the site, potentially leading to a loss of traffic and credibility for the website or organization.

Can you use an expired certificate?

Technically speaking, you are not required to renew your SSL certificate. Letting it expire is certainly an option, but it's not a wise one because the certificate will no longer provide any type of protection.. Similarly, you are allowed to revoke your certificate, although revocation should only be employed if you are closing your business or if you have recently suffered a breach that calls for extensive security updates.

Once your certificate expires, site visitors will encounter the "Your connection is not private" message. All further communication will be displayed in plaintext and therefore, will no longer be encrypted. Outages are a distinct possibility at this point, as are cyberattacks and a variety of other security risks that we will discuss in detail below.

Risks of certificate expiration

SSL certificates represent a core component of a website security strategy. If you allow these certificates to expire, you will lose the advantages that prompted you to seek them in the first place.

To that end, the key risks associated with expiration closely resemble the hazards of not getting a certificate at all — but if your certificate expires when you're not prepared, you may find yourself under the incorrect assumption that your website is still secure and that your reputation is still strong.

Risks abound when you allow your certificates to expire, but these issues, in particular, are worth mentioning:

• Outages. Any downtime whatsoever can cause your profits to plummet in the short term while also damaging your reputation in the long run. Outages become significantly more likely after an SSL expiration.

• Cybersecurity hit. Perhaps the most alarming issue accompanying SSL certificate expiration? The increased potential for cyberattacks. After all, once your certificate expires, your communications no longer take place via an encrypted HTTPS connection. As a result, your sensitive information (and that of your customers) could be easily accessible to data breached, placing it in the hands of hackers and other parties.

• Decrease in customer trust. As your cybersecurity suffers, so does trust among previously loyal customers. Even if you somehow manage to avoid the most problematic cybersecurity issues, your customers will be aware of your lack of certification simply because your website will suddenly display the alarming message, "Your connection is not private." Few will be willing to visit your website under these conditions and, unfortunately, these short-term concerns can eventually lead to long-term avoidance.

• Lower customer retention. With a reduction in trust comes considerable damage to your customer retention rates. This is particularly true if minimal protection leaves your site open to attacks. This was clearly evident in an alarming Ping Identity survey indicating that a whopping 81 percent of consumers would be inclined to stop engaging with brands online in the aftermath of a breach.

Why do SSL certificates expire?

While SSL/TLS certificate expiration may seem inconvenient or downright frustrating, this actually happens by design and is (believe it or not) for the best. Security standards and best practices are constantly evolving, so SSL certificates also must adapt to these changes.

Simply put, SSL certificates would lose all meaning if they did not have a built-in shelf life. Without expiration, there is no way to know that current certificates abide by the latest security strategies — nor is there any real incentive for website owners to update their certificates.

Consider how much the cybersecurity landscape has changed in just the last few years. Now, imagine if you'd implemented SSL certificates that lasted for over a decade. Would security standards that were relevant ten years ago make much of a difference today? Of course not — and as the pace of change accelerates, we will need even more frequent certificate updates to keep up.

It might not seem like it when you’re in the midst of a complex re-issuance, especially if you manage hundreds or even thousands of certificates, but shorter validation periods can actually streamline the process of updating certificates if an automated solution is implemented. From the website owner's perspective, these short timelines can actually prove useful beyond their long-term security implications.

How long do website certificates last?

Certificate timelines sometimes vary from one category to the next, so it's important to keep differing strategies in mind as you search for the right solution. Currently, however, it's standard practice for all types of SSL certificates to last around thirteen months. As we'll touch on later, however, that is about to change.

At Sectigo, we maintain a reissuing timeline of once per year to align with the latest security standards. This applies to DV, OV, and EV certificates. These days, it’s standard practice to renew all three types of certificates after thirteen months or, specifically, 397 days.

Keep in mind that, when deadlines differ for certificates, this typically applies to code signing, as opposed to SSL certificates. Code signing certificates don’t require issuance quite as often, with periods of up to three years available before they expire. Even after expiration, timestamping can ensure that signatures remain valid. That being said, it remains worth your while to promptly renew code signing certificates, as you would for any type of digital certificate.

The main types of SSL certificates include:

• Extended validation (EV): As the highest level of certification, EV provides the most trustworthy validation level option and is the standard of eCommerce websites. The process of obtaining an EV certificate is the most complicated, but therein lies its value because not just anybody can secure this certificate.

• Organization validation (OV): An excellent mid-range form of certification, OV goes above and beyond DV but does not require as extensive of a verification process as EV. Where it resembles EV, however, is the need for the Certificate Authority to verify organizational information before issuance.

• Domain validation (DV): This is the most basic form of digital certification and also the most cost-effective. Another advantage? These certificates can be issued promptly. They might not provide an elite level of protection, but DV is certainly better than bypassing digital certification altogether.

Moving forward, certificate expiration periods may become even shorter than they are today. In Google's Moving Forward, Together roadmap, it became abundantly clear that the maximum certificate validity will see a significant reduction: from the full 398 days available currently to just 90 days in the near future. The exact date for this switch remains unknown, but experts anticipate that shorter certificate deadlines will be in place by the end of 2024.

This reduction in validity time aims to enhance security by ensuring certificates are updated more frequently, thereby reducing the window of opportunity for potential vulnerabilities and promoting the adoption of the latest encryption standards. However, this change also means that website owners and administrators will need to be more vigilant and proactive in managing their SSL certificates, as renewals will need to happen more frequently to maintain secure connections. Automated certificate management will be a crucial tool in this new era, especially for enterprises.

How to avoid SSL certificate expiration

As SSL certificate deadlines become shorter, staying constantly aware of your certificates' status will become even more critical. There are two main options for keeping your SSL certificates up to date: manual monitoring or automation.

Manual monitoring

It's surprisingly easy to manually check certificate expiry dates. Even everyday website users can take a close look at these simply by clicking on the padlock displayed in the left-hand corner of the web browser's address bar. From there, a drop-down menu should appear, revealing whether the connection is secure and providing the opportunity to view additional details.

Under the "Connection is secure" heading, you'll see the phrase "Certificate is valid." Click this and a pop-up will appear, revealing who issued the certificate, when it was issued, and when it will expire. Another option? Using your customer dashboard, you can easily view the certificate status and renew it as the expiry date draws near.

While this may seem like a viable option, especially for a website owner who doesn’t need to manage many SSL certificates, it still carries several drawbacks. Manual monitoring requires constant vigilance and regular checks, which can be time-consuming and prone to human error. Even for a single website, it's easy to overlook a certificate's expiration date amidst other responsibilities, leading to potential downtime and the damaging browser message indicating the site is not secure.

Automation

Although it's possible and even easy to manually check and renew your certificates, this approach is not advised, especially when 90 day validity periods become a reality. This is even more true for those managing multiple certificates. In these cases, manual monitoring quickly becomes impractical and nearly impossible, depending on the number of SSL certificates there are and the manpower available. Consider whether you will actually remember to check certificates or renew them as often as needed. Even if you have good intentions, it's easy to fall behind on SSL certificates. With so many cybersecurity concerns to deal with, you simply may not be capable of keeping up with constantly expiring certificates.

Automated certificate lifecycle management solutions are no longer a nice-to-have, but rather quickly becoming a necessity. These take the guesswork out of SSL certificate expiration and renewal. With this system in place, you can feel fully confident about your website's security status — especially as SSL certificate protocols continue to evolve and, as we've discussed, move toward shorter re-issuance timelines.

How to renew

As the certificate expiration date looms large, you'll want to be prepared for a swift renewal. This process doesn't have to be complicated. You will receive notifications of your soon-to-expire certificate well in advance and are encouraged to begin the renewal process 30 days prior to the stated expiry date.

If you have invested in a certificate lifecycle management solution, this process will automatically be handled and your certificate will be promptly renewed. Otherwise, follow these steps to renew them on your own:

• Create a certificate signing request (CSR): First and foremost, your web host will need to validate the identity of your server. This begins with generating a new CSR, which can be accomplished via cPanel. Along the way, be prepared to provide contact information or other details that validate domain ownership (depending on the type of SSL you request). This probably took several days when you first secured your now-expired certificate. In all likelihood, the timeline will remain the same for re-issuance.

• Send the CSR to the CA: Once your CSR is all set and you are ready to move forward with the renewal process. Next, check your email for instructions on how to send your recently generated CSR to your Certificate Authority. These details should be accompanied by a link that sends you to the next step.

• Validate your certificate: Once again, you will need to confirm domain ownership. The simplest strategy involves using an email affiliated with the specific domain. Otherwise, you can use HTTP validation for verification purposes.

• Install the certificate: Finally, use cPanel to access the SSL/TLS area, where you’ll find insight into your various domains and opportunities to update their certificates.

What if you want the benefits of prompt renewal but don’t want to constantly pay for new certificates? Consider investing in a multi-year plan. This provides consistent coverage but can also prompt significant savings. At Sectigo, we offer plans spanning up to a full six years.

Additionally, you are welcome to upgrade or change as you renew your SSL certificate status. Whether you want wildcard SSL for subdomains or are ready to move up to OV or EV, this is a great time to boost your protection.

Avoid the dangers of expired SSL certificate with Sectigo

As you search for a trusted Certificate Authority, take a close look at the many SSL/TLS and other digital certificate offerings from Sectigo. We offer a wide range of options, including EV, OV, and DV certificates.

Our certificates are available for a single domain or if needed, hundreds of domains — and they can be purchased every year or in a multi-year format. Our Sectigo Certificate Manager platform allows you to automate the certificate renewal process so you don’t risk falling behind.

Ready to get started? Take a close look at our certificates and management services or contact us for more information.