Why SSL certificates expire: exploring the benefits of shorter validity periods
SSL certificates expire to enhance security, comply with evolving regulations, and encourage timely updates. Shorter validity periods, soon to be 90 days, improve cybersecurity by ensuring frequent renewals, minimizing risks associated with outdated encryption. Automating these renewals mitigates the increased workload and human error, making it crucial for businesses to adopt automated certificate lifecycle management for enhanced security and compliance.
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Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) / Transport Layer Security (TLS) certificates are PKI-based certificates that help form the basis of modern web security. Meant to provide website authentication and produce encrypted connections, these certificates ensure secure communication and peace of mind.
SSL certificates have a lot to offer, but they cannot achieve their full potential unless they are implemented and managed strategically—and this means seamless handling through every stage of the certificate lifecycle[1] . These stages include certificate request and enrollment, issuance and provisioning, usage and monitoring, and expiration and renewal (or in some cases, revocation).
Neglect any of these steps, and these certificates (and the websites they protect) could be compromised.
The final stage, which leads to expiration, is especially key as certificate expiration can lead to SSL outages and downtime, and have an extremely detrimental impact on a business’s reputation, customer trust, data, and bottom line. This part of the lifecycle has also become of particular note with Google’s announcement of shorter certificate validity periods in the future. For those manually managing SSL/TLS certificates, a shorter validity period means more IT resources needed to keep up and more opportunities for human error or negligence.
Throughout this process, it is important to keep in mind the reason why certificates have expiration dates in the first place and how shorter validity periods can actually benefit businesses in the long run.
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How long do SSL/TLS certificates last?
Currently, SSL certificates have a validity period of about 13 months, or specifically, expire after 397 days. This is about to see a significant adjustment, however, as Google has revealed a clear intention to shorten the validity period for digital certificates. In the future, 90-day validity periods are to be expected. This marks a dramatic reduction that will shake up the status quo of digital certificates.
One of the reasons Google has made this decision is because it “encourages automation and the adoption of practices that will drive the ecosystem away from baroque, time-consuming, and error-prone issuance processes.”
Manual certificate renewal processes will no longer cut it when certificates need to be updated so frequently. This approach is already inefficient when certificates last over a year. If this is required every 90 days, already overburdened IT departments will be stretched to the max and outages will become more likely.
Thankfully, automated solutions promise to remove the inconveniences attached to shorter certificate lifespans while also allowing enterprises to leverage the benefits of these brief validity periods—and yes, these shorter periods are, in fact, incredibly advantageous.
Why do SSL certificates expire?
Expiration is a crucial part of the digital certificate lifecycle. This happens when an SSL certificate reaches the end of its established validity period. At this point, the certificate is no longer deemed valid, and therefore, may lead to serious security issues.
Many concerns underscore the need for SSL certificate expiration. Below, we discuss a few of the most significant issues that spark the need for more frequent certificate expiry dates and renewals.
Security concerns
Above all else, SSL certificate expiration aims to boost cybersecurity. This may seem counterintuitive—after all, expired certificates can leave websites at risk. Without expiration, however, certificates would last indefinitely, which if hackers ever breached the website, the certificate and key can be stolen to impersonate the customer website..
Additionally, by encouraging certificate renewals in an automated fashion, certificate expiration will be minimized and a thing of the past. This also encourages key rotation in an automated way to reduce the risk of key reuse and potential exposure
Technology advancements
The cryptographic landscape is quickly evolving, and technologies we currently take for granted could soon be obsolete. If SSL strategies are not updated alongside cutting-edge technologies, they may no longer provide sufficient protection.
Computing power in particular is rapidly accelerating and this can potentially make once-effective cryptographic algorithms broken. This means certificates that don't expire or have a long expiration time create security exposure.
Policy & regulatory requirements
Evolving policies call for updated certificates, but accomplishing this—especially on a wide scale—is far from easy. Expiration sets the stage for new certificates to adhere to any updated policies or regulations. In general, expiration and renewals encourage reviews of digital certificate strategies and other security solutions; all this aligns with strict security requirements from several regulatory frameworks.
Benefits of shorter validity periods
At first glance, longer validity periods may seem favorable: many people assume that this limits time spent on renewal. Some also suspect that long validity periods mean that lapses are less likely.
While the above is true, shorter validity periods can improve security, and mitigate key compromise which in the long run financial losses and brand reputation will be significantly reduced.. Advantages worth considering include:
Enhanced security
The longer digital certificates remain in place, the more vulnerable they are—especially as new vulnerabilities enters the cybersecurity landscape. These vulnerabilities could easily be exploited, which would lead to the certificate keypair being stolen. When expiration leads to prompt and strategic renewals, however, stronger cryptographic strategies can be implemented.
Improved compliance
As new regulatory requirements emerge, it becomes increasingly more difficult for organizations to keep up. Shorter validity periods are accompanied by automated certificate lifecycle management (CLM), it should be easier to adhere to strict requirements.
Increased agility
Crypto agility is a priority as new threats, especially those related to quantum computing, emerge at an increasingly rapid rate. When validity periods remain short, a faster response is required, with swift updates addressing emerging security concerns. Furthermore, should digital certificates be wrongfully issued, they will not be valid for long. This approach may even prompt improved adaptations to organizational change, as enterprises can respond dynamically as their needs or industry shifts.
Embrace CLM automation with Sectigo
Shorter validity periods are right around the corner, but remember: this should not be cause for concern unless you are entirely dependent on manual certificate renewal processes. The right approach can keep digital certificates current and secure while also streamlining operations and reducing the cost of renewal.
Manual renewal processes have long been risky, but they are even more worrisome in the context of short certificate lifespans. This is the perfect time to leverage automated solutions, which ensure that SSL/TLS certificates are renewed before they expire. Offering a centralized platform and powerful oversight, this represents a key resource for tackling the security challenges of tomorrow.
If you are ready to embrace the power of automated certificate lifecycle management, take a closer look at one of the most trusted solutions available: Sectigo Certificate Manager (SCM). Learn more about this powerful CLM platform or make the most of our free trial.
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How businesses should prepare for shorter SSL/TLS certificate validity periods