Nobody enjoys renewing TLS certificates. But with the industry steadily moving toward 47-day certificate lifespans by 2029, that groan you’re hearing across IT departments? It’s justified.
Just ask Reddit… 🤬 😤 🔥
Shorter certificate lifespans are designed to improve security and drive automation. But in the real world, the shift is adding serious pressure on already-stretched teams. Certificate renewals happen constantly. Even when everything works, each renewal can take hours from end to end (request, renewal, provisioning, installation, and restoring services).
Multiply that by hundreds or thousands of certificates, and it’s clear: the current pace isn’t sustainable.
So, how do you prepare for a world where certificates live for just 47 days?
The answer isn’t to flip a switch – it’s to start a journey.
The Challenge: You Can’t Automate What You Can’t See
Automation is the goal, but it’s not the starting point. While protocols like ACME have moved the needle, they don’t work in every environment – and legacy systems still make up a large part of today’s infrastructure.
Preparing for ultra-short certificate lifespans starts with people and process. Before you can automate, you need visibility, ownership, and governance in place. That means:
- Inventory everything: Map out where certificates live, who owns them, and when they expire. Without a complete picture, you’re flying blind.
- Assign accountability: Make sure individuals, teams, or business units are clearly responsible for certificates. Otherwise, approvals and renewals fall through the cracks.
- Enforce governance: Monitor your certificate landscape continuously. Catch anomalies, weak keys, and non-compliant certs before they cause problems.
- Implement alerts & reporting: Proactive alerting ensures no certificate is forgotten or left to expire unexpectedly.
- Streamline workflows: Eliminate bottlenecks in the request and approval process. Pro tip: Fast, reliable workflows reduce risk and save time.
Scale Automation – Smartly
Once you’ve established visibility and governance, you can begin to automate certificate renewals, provisioning, and installation.
Gradually expand automation using the right mix of protocols (ACME, EST, CMP, SCEP), REST APIs, and agent-based or agentless deployment methods. Some environments will still require human oversight – that’s okay.
So…what should your first goal be? Glad you asked: aim to reduce manual tasks, lower the risk of outages, and free up your team to focus on higher-value work.
TLS in the Fast Lane: Next Steps
Certificate lifespans are shrinking. Your team needs to adapt – fast. The smartest move? A phased, practical approach to certificate lifecycle automation. The clock is ticking, and doing nothing is no longer an option.
Here are a few smart tips to get started:
- Explore solutions like Keyfactor Command – it’s purpose-built to give you full visibility, streamline processes, and accelerate your journey to scalable, end-to-end automation.
- Check out our webinar, “TLS in the Fast Lane: The Road to 47-Day Certificates.”
- Talk to our security experts. Keyfactor is here to help answer your questions. Simply reach out to our team anytime.
