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Google Advocates Brief SSL/TLS Certificate Validity: Reduction to 90 Days

Google unveils plan to drastically shorten SSL/TLS certificate validity period, with new limit set at 90 days, previously extending up to two years.

Shortened SSL/TLS Certificates Lifespan Proposal by Google: Reduction to a 90-day maximum validity...
Shortened SSL/TLS Certificates Lifespan Proposal by Google: Reduction to a 90-day maximum validity period!

Google Advocates Brief SSL/TLS Certificate Validity: Reduction to 90 Days

Google has put forth a proposal to cut the maximum validity period of SSL/TLS certificates to 90 days, with the aim of enhancing online security. This commitment to improving digital safety comes as a response to the growing concern over potential security breaches.

The shorter certificate lifetimes, if implemented, would provide several benefits. Cybersecurity experts generally agree that these changes can help reduce the window of opportunity for attackers, thereby enhancing overall trust and agility in responding to security incidents.

Moreover, shorter certificates can facilitate faster adoption of updated cryptographic standards, minimizing the impact of vulnerabilities.

However, this proposal also brings about potential drawbacks. The increased operational burden of renewing certificates more frequently could lead to renewal errors, expired certificates, and service disruptions. Without reliable automation, this complexity could escalate, especially for infrastructure not using modern managed services or CDNs.

Smaller websites or organizations relying on free SSL certificates, typically valid for up to 90 days, may face continuous renewal demands and lack dedicated support, increasing maintenance overhead.

By 2029, certificate lifetimes might shrink even further, to as short as 47 days, with domain ownership validations required every 10 days. This would intensify the challenges and force widespread adoption of automation tools for certificate issuance and renewal.

Website owners relying on longer certificate lifetimes for business operations have expressed resistance to this proposal. However, it's crucial for users to take steps to protect themselves as the proposal develops, and for website owners to stay informed about the potential impacts on their online security.

In conclusion, while shortening SSL/TLS certificate validity to 90 days improves security by reducing risk exposure time, it substantially raises operational complexity and demands robust automation and lifecycle management to prevent disruptions.

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