Digital Certificate Expiration: Common Mistakes and How to Prevent Them
Expiration of a digital certificate is quite common, and for many organizations it may seem like a small technical issue. But it is a much bigger picture to look for. An expired digital certificate can cause operational outages, security concerns, or even break communication between systems. That’s why it is important to keep a regular track of digital certificates. In this blog we will discuss some common mistakes during the expiration of digital certificates and how to prevent them.
What Is a Digital Certificate?
A digital certificate is a virtual document that enables websites, applications, individuals, and systems to verify their identity over the internet. Having a digital certificate assures users and systems that the communication is done with a trusted entity. However, a digital certificate is only valid for a certain period, which means the certificate is required to be renewed or replaced by the new one.
Why Do Digital Certificates Expire?
The main reason why most digital certificates expire is to review and update the digital identity of users, websites, and systems while at the same time improving security by using new encryption technologies. Say a hacker steals the private key, but due to the shorter lifespan, it helps limit the misuse of the certificate. Further, it also forces organizations to keep their security practices up to date and help comply with industry security standards.
What Happens When a Digital Certificate Expires?
1. Websites May Show Security Warnings
When a website’s certificate expires, it gives the user a security warning stating the connection is not secure. This alerts the user that the website is not safe and must leave the site immediately.
2. Applications May Stop Working
If an application’s certificate gets expired, it loses digital trust, which ultimately leads to security warnings, connection failures, and service outages.
3. APIs Can Stop Communicating
Businesses that use APIs for communication between applications and systems can no longer communicate after the certificate gets expired. Tasks for which APIs were used, like payment, data sharing, and authentication, all are paused for the time being.
4. Business Services Can Go Offline
Some certificates are used for carrying out crucial business services. Expiration of certificates can make these services unavailable for customers, affecting business image and reputation.
Common Mistakes That Lead to Digital Certificate Expiration
1. Not Tracking Expiration Dates
It is very important to keep track of the expiration dates of digital certificates. Without a clear record of the expiration dates, renewals can be delayed and be easily missed. This is a rookie mistake that security teams make.
2. Managing Certificates Manually
Most organizations rely on spreadsheets or calendar reminders for renewal of the certificates. This method over time will become difficult due to the increase in the number of certificates and would require excess time for manually updating spreadsheets or calendars.
3. Not Knowing Where Certificates Are Used
IT teams must always know what certificates are being used and what purpose they serve. An organization uses different certificates across websites, servers, applications, and APIs. Without proper visibility of these certificates, teams may struggle managing them.
4. Failing to Assign Certificate Ownership
Another mistake is not clearly defining the ownership of the certificate. It is very important to know who is responsible for the particular certificate and its usage. Neglecting ownership can result in a delay of renewal tasks.
5. Renewing Without Checking the Deployment
Getting a new certificate isn’t always the end of the renewal process. The new certificate is required to be installed on the correct system as well. Thus, installing the certificate in the wrong place can lead to unexpected issues.
How Certificate Lifecycle Management Can Help Prevent Outages
Certificate lifecycle management (CLM) is the process that organizations can use to manage the entire lifecycle of their digital certificates across different systems and networks. This will help them to monitor, review, renew, and revoke their digital certificates to maintain digital trust and security.
Here’s how it works:
- Identifies all the digital certificates currently used by the organization.
- Brings all the certificates together in the central certificate inventory.
- Regularly monitors the certificates and helps teams known about the certificates approaching their expiration date.
- Renews certificates before they expire to avoid any last-minute outage.
- Revokes any compromised or unwanted certificates.
Therefore, by using Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) tools, organizations can easily automate the certificate renewal process and monitor it regularly. This saves a lot of time and manual effort while complying with security standards.
Ready to Take Control of Your Digital Certificates?
If you are someone facing challenges in managing your digital certificates, you can take a look at our Certificate Lifecycle Management solutions. At AppleShineTech (Thales Implementation Partner), we provide reliable CLM solutions that help organizations automate the process of how they manage their digital certificates.
For more information, visit our website “https://appleshinetech.com/” or give us a call at +91 7042079410.