SSL 2 Year Refresh

In September 2020, web browsers implemented a limitation that an SSL certificate would not be considered secure if its duration is more than 12 months.

There are two main reasons for this change.

1. It means that changes in security technology can be rolled out faster without having to revoke large amounts of SSL certificates, this makes the web as a whole more secure.

2. The longer the period of time between validating the identity of a certificate owner and the domain, the higher the risk to the user of a website.

It is still possible to purchase a 2 year SSL package, however, this will require a refresh of the certificate after 12 months, with validation occurring again.

Impact

The impact is limited and depends on which type of SSL you have purchased.

Domain Validation

Where the SSL certificate type is domain validation, a simple domain control check will occur. This check will be performed by our support team.

If the domain uses our DNS nameservers, this process will be automatic with no input required from you.

If a domain uses external DNS nameservers, you will be required to either create a DNS record or follow the instructions in an email we will send to you. This is exactly the same process as when ordering a new SSL certificate or renewing one.

Organisation or Extended Validation

Domain validation will occur as above, as well as a repeat of the organisation or extended validation process that happened on the initial order or last renewal.

If the organisation details have not changed, this should be straight forward and at most would involve you accepting a phone call from the SSL issuer.

If the organisation details have changed and cannot be validated, our SSL team will contact you to provide further instructions (This is the most likely scenario to cause disruption).

Installation

If the certificate is hosted on our shared hosting platform or on a managed server, the installation will either be automatic or handled by our Managed Servers Team.

If the certificate is hosted externally, you will be required to install the new certificate in exactly the same way as you would with a renewal.

We’re here to help

As always, If you need any assistance or clarification on this subject, we’re on hand to help you.  

If you need to get in touch, you can reach us by phone or by raising a support enquiry from within your online control panel.