SSL Certificates - Maximum Validity is Now One Year

here’s a new web update coming that affects your website!

From September 1, 2020, the SSL/TLS certificates that encrypt your website(s) are getting their lifespans (validity periods) shortened to a one-year max. Both Apple and Google have implemented this change within their browsers.

if you’re using a two-year certificate that was issued before September 1, your certificate will stay valid until its original expiration date. You just won’t be able to renew for two years moving forward.

The great news is that this update is designed to make the internet safer as shorter periods allow for more up-to-date technology and more accurate ownership information.

The main difference is that you now have to renew your SSL certificate every year instead of every two years.

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So, why are certificate still being reduced to one year?

There are two primary benefits for shorter-lived certificates:

• The first is the technical component – longer lifespans means it takes longer to organically roll out updates or changes. A real-world example would be the SHA1-to-SHA2 transition. Unless you’re going to revoke a whole bunch of certificates and force the customer to re-issue, it can take years before all of the old certificates are replaced. In the case of SHA1, it took three. That creates risk.
• The other benefit has to do with identity – how long should the information used to validate an identity stay trusted? The longer between validation, the greater the risk. Google has said that in an ideal world domain validation would occur about every six hours.

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Subscription SSL

If you enjoy price incentives from multi-year purchases, we’re happy to let you know that the Sectigo Certificate Authority has released a new feature called Subscription SSL. This feature allows you to buy up to 5-years of SSL coverage at a discount — up to 20% savings over the lifetime of the subscription.  

Depending on the year amount you purchase, Subscription SSL is essentially a bundle of overlapping 1-year certificates to give you coverage for your desired length (up to 5-years).  

The Subscription SSL feature is enabled for all Sectigo & Comodo product lines including PositiveSSL, InstantSSL, ComodoSSL, EssentialSSL, EliteSSL and EnterpriseSSL.

You can find out more about SSL Certificates for your website on the following page.