SSL Lifespan Changes: What Is Happening & What Do You Need To Do
Introduction
Industry-wide changes to SSL/TLS certificate renewal lifecycles are coming into place in less than a month. We’re going to break down what SSL certificates are, a timeline for the changes, why, and finally what you need to do!
What Is An SSL Certificate?
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, which is a protocol for establishing a secure connection between a web server and a browser. An SSL certificate is a file installed on a website’s server that enables this encrypted connection. When a website has an SSL certificate, information transmitted between the user and the website, such as passwords, credit card numbers, and personal data is protected from hackers and eavesdroppers.
How Do You Know A Website Has SSL?
The website URL begins with https:// instead of just http://. The ‘s’ stands for secure. A padlock icon appears in the browser’s address bar. Clicking it shows certificate details and confirms the identity of the website.
Why SSL Is Important
- Data Protection: Encrypts sensitive information to keep it private.
- Trust and Credibility: Visitors feel safer sharing data on websites that have SSL.
- SEO Benefit: Search engines like Google favour secure websites and may rank them higher.
- Regulatory Compliance: Some industries require SSL to meet legal data protection standards.
What Changes Are Coming Into effect
SSL certificate maximum lifespans are being drastically reduced from 398 days to just 47 days to enhance web security.
Key Changes & Timeline
- March 15, 2026: Maximum lifespan drops to 200 days.
- June 15, 2026: Google Chrome and other internet browsers will stop trusting public certificates that combine both server and client authentication.
- March 15, 2027: Maximum lifespan drops to 100 days.
- March 15, 2029: Maximum lifespan drops to 47 days.
Core Reasons For The Change
- Reducing risk of compromise: Shorter lifespans ensure that if a private key is stole, it only remains useful to an attacker for a shorter period of time.
- Eliminating stale data: Domain ownership can change frequently. Reducing validity periods ensures that certificates are tied to current, verified owners rather than someone who controlled the domain before.
What You Need To Do
Small / Solopreneur To Medium Business
Common Scenario: Uses a single website hosted on a platform like WordPress.
Required Action: Enable SSL Auto-renewal on your domain host. Also ensure you have a valid payment method to prevent issues.
Mid-Sizes / Multi-Site
Common Scenario: Manages 10-50 domains across different servers or cloud providers.
Required Action: Adopt ACME Protocol. Use automated clients to handle the life cycling.
Additional Support
Domains are fundamental to a modern business, and so we have spent A LOT of time managing and supporting them over the years. For small to medium businesses with single websites hosted on WordPress, we’ll be more than happy to audit and confirm your automatic renewals are in place complimentarily.