Shortnening Lifespan of TLS Certificates: Preparing for a Future of Shorter Validity Periods

11 Mar ‘25

Shortening Lifespan of TLS Certificates: Preparing for a Future of Shorter Validity Periods 

The digital security landscape is experiencing significant transformation, primarily driven by the reduced validity periods introduced by major web browser vendors concerning SSL/TLS certificates. This movement, which began several years ago, has gained substantial traction following recent proposals from industry leaders such as Apple and Google.  

In October 2024, Apple put forth a proposal to the CA/Browser Forum aimed at significantly shortening the lifespan and validity of TLS certificates as outlined in the ballot titled “SC-081: Introduce Schedule of Reducing Validity and Data Reuse Periods.”  

By implementing such measures, Apple aims to mitigate risks associated with longer certificate lifespans, ensuring that certificates are renewed more frequently and thereby improving the overall security posture of web communications. 

Organizations reliant on secure web connections and electronic transactions must closely monitor these developments to ensure ongoing business continuity, maintain efficient operations, and uphold a robust security posture. 

The Evolution of Certificate Validity Periods 

The journey towards shorter certificate lifespans has been under way for more than a decade, marked by a clear trajectory of decreases in validity. A retrospective view of this historical progression reveals a consistent pattern: 

• In 2012, certificates could remain valid for as long as 60 months (5 years).  

• By 2015, this maximum validity was reduced to 39 months.  

• In 2018 another adjustment to 825 days was made.  

• Then, in 2020, the industry reached the current standard of 398 days (approximately 13 months). 

This gradual reduction underscores the cybersecurity community’s increasing awareness that long-lived certificates carry significant security risks. Each successive decrease has emphasized the importance of balancing enhanced security with operational feasibility. The existing 398-day period represents a critical compromise that enables organizations to establish manageable annual renewal cycles while simultaneously improving security compared to the previously longer validity periods. 

The New Wave of Certificate Lifespan Reductions 

The relative stability of the 398-day period is now facing significant challenges from two leading browser vendors. In March 2023, Google’s Chromium Projects made headlines by announcing intentions to lower the maximum validity period for public TLS certificates to just 90 days. This initiative, part of Google’s “Moving Forward, together” roadmap, indicates a dramatic shift in the industry’s approach to certificate management. 

In contrast, Apple has adopted an even more assertive position. During a CA/Browser Forum meeting in October 2023, Apple presented a draft ballot that proposed a gradual reduction of maximum certificate validity periods. Initially aimed at reaching 45 days by 2027, Apple’s proposal has since been updated to reflect a slightly extended timeframe and validity period. This evolution signifies a pivotal moment in how organizations will approach the management of digital certificates moving forward. 

The updated timeline from Apple now proposes: 

1. March 15, 2026: Maximum validity reduced to 200 days 
2. March 15, 2027: Further reduction to 100 days 
3. March 15, 2028: Final reduction to 47 days  

Additionally, Apple’s proposal includes a gradual reduction of the Domain Control Validation (DCV) reuse period, eventually requiring revalidation every 10 days by late 2027 or 2028. This aspect of the proposal is particularly significant as it affects how frequently domain ownership must be verified. 

By increasing the frequency of revalidation, Apple aims to strengthen security practices surrounding domain management, ensuring that the legitimacy of domain ownership is consistently maintained in an ever-evolving threat landscape. 

Why Are Certificate Lifespans Being Shortened? 

The push for shorter certificate validity periods is driven by several compelling security and operational considerations: 

Enhanced Security Through Reduced Exposure 

Shorter certificate lifespans significantly reduce the window of opportunity for attackers to exploit compromised certificates. When certificates have shorter validation periods, the potential damage from a compromised private key is inherently limited by the certificate’s expiration date. This constraint serves as an effective security control in an era of increasing sophisticated attacks. 

Encouraging Automation and Best Practices 

Perhaps the most transformative aspect of shorter certificate lifespans is their ability to drive a significant shift away from manual certificate management. Both Google and Apple have explicitly articulated that one of the primary objectives of their proposals is to encourage organizations to adopt automated certificate management practices.  

With certificates expiring at a much higher frequency, relying on manual processes becomes increasingly unsustainable. This reality compels organizations to implement automation solutions to prevent costly service outages and ensure continuous compliance with the evolving standards in digital security.  

Leveraging automation not only streamlines the management process but also fortifies an organization’s defense in an environment of relentless cyber threats. 

Cryptographic Agility 

The cybersecurity landscape is continuously evolving, characterized by the emergence of new threats that often render older cryptographic standards obsolete. Shorter certificate lifespans facilitate a more rapid adoption of new cryptographic standards and protocols, which is particularly critical as we near the onset of quantum computing.  

When certificates require more frequent renewal, the entire ecosystem can swiftly adjust to emerging threats and enhanced standards, enabling organizations to remain one step ahead in their security measures. This agility is essential not only for maintaining robust defenses but also for ensuring resilience in the face of an ever-changing threat environment. When certificates need to be renewed more frequently, the entire ecosystem can adapt to emerging threats and improved standards at a much faster pace. 

Reduced Reliance on Revocation 

Current certificate revocation mechanisms, such as Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs) and the Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP), present known limitations concerning both performance and privacy. By adopting shorter certificate lifespans, organizations can significantly diminish the reliance on these revocation mechanisms, as compromised certificates will inherently expire sooner.  

This strategy effectively addresses a fundamental challenge within the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) ecosystem while avoiding the need for drastic alterations to existing revocation infrastructures. In this way, shorter lifespans contribute to a more efficient and secure certificate management process, streamlining operations while enhancing overall security. 

Alignment with Domain Control 

Another advantage of shorter certificate lifespans is the improved alignment between certificate validity and domain ownership. As domains frequently change hands and organizations undergo restructuring or rebranding, shorter lifespans help ensure that certificates accurately reflect the current state of domain ownership.  

This practice significantly reduces the risk of certificates remaining valid long after organizational changes have occurred. By keeping certificates in sync with the latest ownership details, organizations can enhance their security posture and minimize the potential for misuse associated with outdated certificates. 

The Operational Challenges of Shorter Certificate Lifespans 

While the security advantages of shorter certificate lifespans are evident, the operational implications are substantial and potentially disruptive: 

Increased Renewal Frequency 

The most apparent challenge is the significant rise in certificate renewal activities. Transitioning from 398-day certificates to 47-day certificates translates to an increase in renewal frequency by over eight times. For organizations managing thousands of certificates, this marks a considerable increase in workload if not properly automated. 

Risk of Outages and Disruptions 

Certificate-related outages are already a prevalent issue for many organizations. Unexpected expiration of a TLS certificate can render websites inaccessible, cause application failures, and halt business operations. With shorter certificate lifespans, the likelihood of such outages rises proportionally if certificate management processes aren’t updated. 

Resource Constraints for Smaller Organizations 

While large enterprises often have dedicated teams and advanced tools for certificate management, smaller organizations typically lack these resources and may find it challenging to meet the heightened operational demands associated with managing certificates that have significantly shorter lifespans. This disparity could create new security vulnerabilities across the digital ecosystem. 

Transition Complexity 

Adapting organizational processes, updating tools, and training staff to accommodate shorter certificate lifecycles presents a substantial transition challenge. Organizations accustomed to annual renewal cycles will need to fundamentally revise their management practices. 

Preparing for the Future: Best Practices for Adaptation 

Given the inevitability of shorter certificate lifespans, organizations should begin preparing now rather than waiting for these changes to become mandatory. Here are essential strategies for adapting to this new reality: 

Embrace Automation as a Necessity 

The most critical step is to implement comprehensive certificate lifecycle automation. Manual certificate management simply won’t be sustainable with 47-day or even 90-day certificate lifespans. Automation tools can handle the entire certificate lifecycle, from key generation and CSR submission to installation and renewal. This approach not only reduces the risk of outages but also frees IT teams from repetitive, error-prone tasks. 

Establish Complete Certificate Visibility 

You can’t manage what you can’t see. Many organizations lack visibility into their certificate inventory, with one study indicating that 62% of respondents don’t know how many certificates they have. Implementing tools and processes to discover, monitor, and track all certificates across the organization is an essential foundation for effective certificate management. 

Develop Robust Alerting Systems 

Even with automation, monitoring and alerting systems remain crucial. These systems should provide early warnings for certificates approaching expiration, allowing teams to address any issues before they cause outages. Ideally, alerting should be multi-channel and escalate appropriately based on certificate criticality and proximity to expiration. 

Educate Stakeholders Across the Organization 

Certificate management isn’t just an IT security function—it affects development teams, operations, and even business units that rely on certificate-secured applications. Educating stakeholders across the organization about the importance of certificate management and the implications of shorter lifespans helps build a culture of shared responsibility. 

Consider Private PKI for Internal Certificates 

While publicly trusted certificates are subject to the validity periods mandated by browser vendors, internal certificates managed through a private PKI can follow different rules. Organizations should evaluate whether some use cases would be better served by internal PKI infrastructure, which provides more flexibility in managing certificate lifecycles. 

The Future of Certificate Management 

The trend toward shorter certificate lifespans shows no signs of reversing. In fact, for certain environments like containerized applications and DevOps pipelines, certificate lifespans are already measured in hours or minutes rather than days. This suggests that the future of certificate management lies in fully automated, API-driven systems that can handle certificate lifecycle operations at machine speed. 

Organizations that adapt successfully to these changes will gain not only improved security but also more agile, resilient infrastructure. The shift toward automation, while initially driven by necessity, ultimately delivers operational benefits that extend beyond mere compliance with new standards. 

Conclusion 

The shrinking lifespan of TLS certificates represents both a security improvement and an operational challenge. By understanding the rationale behind these changes and proactively implementing the strategies discussed above, organizations can navigate this transition successfully while strengthening their overall security posture. 

While the exact timeline for these changes may still evolve through industry discussions and formal approval processes, the direction is clear. Certificate validity periods are decreasing, and organizations that begin preparing now will be well-positioned to handle these changes without disruption to their critical operations. 

The key takeaway is that automation is no longer optional—it’s an essential component of modern certificate management. By embracing this reality and investing in appropriate tools and processes, organizations can turn what might otherwise be a burdensome compliance challenge into an opportunity to enhance their security operations. 

Sources: 

https://github.com/cabforum/servercert/pull/553 

https://www.chromium.org/Home/chromium-security/root-ca-policy/moving-forward-together/ 

https://www.globalsign.com/en/blog/90-days-to-47-certificate-lifespans-and-automation  

https://scotthelme.co.uk/are-shorter-certificates-finally-coming/

https://www.darkreading.com/cybersecurity-operations/navigating-the-future-with-shorter-tls-lifespans