Let’s face it: in a world where certificates will soon live for just 47 days, the margin for error is about to disappear.
Certificate management is about to get a whole lot more complex.
NIST is moving to retire RSA and ECDSA by 2030–2035, and the CA/Browser Forum is cutting TLS cert lifespans down to just 47 days by 2029. That means more renewals, more room for things to slip through the cracks, and more pressure on already stretched teams.
That’s not a bad thing – shorter lifespans improve security. But in practice, they also multiply the complexity and burden on already overstretched IT and security teams. If you’re still relying on spreadsheets and manual processes, this shift could get painful fast.
Even a “routine” certificate renewal isn’t quick. Each one still takes time: requesting, approving, provisioning, installing, and restoring services.
Multiply that by hundreds or thousands of certificates and…well, you get the picture. As we shared in this recent on-demand webinar, it kind of becomes TLS in the fast lane!
You must prepare for a faster, more unforgiving TLS ecosystem. But here’s the catch: you simply can’t automate what you can’t see.
Identifying Hidden Risk
One of the biggest roadblocks to smart automation? Using the wrong certificate in the first place.
It happens more than you’d think:
- A public certificate accidentally gets used for an internal app.
- A private certificate ends up on a public-facing API.
- A legacy system needs a cert that no one’s sure how to classify.
When certificate types don’t match their intended use, it adds risk, delays, and eventually causes outages. And in a 47-day world, those mistakes snowball fast.
Introducing: The Certificate Decision Tree One-Pager
It’s not always obvious which certificate you need.
This new decision tree can walk you through each step.
It’s one-part infographic, one-part cheat sheet. Use it to get it right the first time for:
- Internal applications
- Public websites
- Web APIs
- And hybrid scenarios that fall into gray areas
It’s designed to cut down confusion, speed up the request process, and make sure certificates align with both policy and environment.
Don’t Get Stumped: Start With the Decision Tree!
A Smart Foundation Before You Scale
Remember – automation is where we’re headed – but visibility and governance come first.
Before scaling certificate lifecycle automation, ask yourself:
- Do we know where all our certificates live?
- Are we confident they’re the right type for their purpose?
- Can we trust that they’re being tracked, renewed, and audited correctly?
The decision tree helps build that foundation. It’s a simple first step toward:
- Better visibility across your certificate landscape
- Fewer misconfigurations and outages
- More confidence in scaling automation
Accelerate with the Right Solutions
Once you’ve got clarity and control, the next step is a solution that can take you further, faster.
Explore solutions that can offer:
- Full visibility into every certificate across your environment
- Streamlined workflows for issuance, renewal, and provisioning
- A scalable foundation for end-to-end certificate lifecycle automation
Whether you’re managing hundreds or hundreds of thousands of certificates, a solution like Keyfactor Command helps your team stay ahead of the curve.
The 47-Day Road Ahead
The shift to 47-day certificates isn’t just a policy change – it’s a wake-up call.
As Keyfactor’s security experts shared during a recent webinar, the teams that thrive in this new world will have:
- Clear certificate ownership
- Streamlined workflows
- Automated processes where it counts most
- And most importantly: the right certificate in the right place, every time
Sound overwhelming? Well, it can be. But remember, it’s not about flipping a switch overnight. It’s about taking the first smart step.
This decision tree is your starting point. Use it, share it, pin it to your dashboard. It’s one small tool that can prevent one very big headache.
Download the decision tree one-pager now.
Want to dig deeper or have questions? Get in touch to see how we’re helping enterprises build resilient, scalable certificate management programs.
