Apple's Bold Move: SSL Certificate Lifespan to Drop to 47 Days by 2029
Digital certificate lifespans are rapidly evolving, with Apple proposing a significant reduction to just 47 days by 2029, down from the current 398-day validity period. This change aims to enhance security by limiting potential exploitation of compromised keys.
Key Timeline Milestones:
- September 15, 2025: Certificate lifespan reduces to 200 days
- September 16, 2026: Further reduction to 100 days
- September 2029: Final reduction to 47 days
Certificate lifecycle timeline diagram
Security Benefits:
- Reduced window for key compromise exploitation
- Enhanced compliance and security agility
- Faster response to emerging threats
Operational Challenges:
- Increased administrative burden on IT teams
- Legacy system compatibility issues
- Resource strain on smaller organizations
- Manual renewal processes become impractical
Preparing for Shorter Certificate Lifecycles:
- Implement Automated Solutions:
- Adopt automated certificate lifecycle management (CLM)
- Ensure ACME protocol compatibility
- Deploy end-to-end certificate management systems
- Infrastructure Updates:
- Evaluate current systems for automation support
- Plan necessary upgrades
- Consider scalability requirements
Book cover: 90-Day Survival Guide
Immediate Actions Required:
- Audit existing certificate management processes
- Evaluate and implement automation solutions
- Develop long-term certificate management strategy
- Train IT staff on new processes
Man in blue business headshot
Organizations must act now to prepare for these changes by implementing automated certificate management solutions and updating their infrastructure to handle shorter certificate lifecycles effectively.