SSL Certificate Changes Spark Major Business Concerns as Organizations Lag in Preparation

A new Sectigo/Omdia research report reveals 96% of organizations are worried about the impact of shorter SSL/TLS certificate lifespans on their operations, while most remain unprepared for the upcoming transition to 47-day renewal cycles and post-quantum cryptography (PKC). Understanding the essential benefits of SSL certificates for business security has never been more critical.

Only 19% of organizations feel prepared for the shorter certificate renewal requirements, with 15% expressing confidence in their ability to integrate post-quantum cryptography without major disruptions. This lack of readiness could have significant implications for business continuity and security.

The State of Certificate Management

The study uncovered several concerning trends in how organizations manage their digital certificates:

• Only 5% have fully automated certificate management processes
• Just 28% maintain a complete certificate inventory
• 13% are confident in tracking all their certificates

"TLS certificates have become part of the basic IT infrastructure that companies take for granted," explains Rik Turner, Chief Analyst, Cybersecurity at Omdia. "Many organizations haven't grasped the urgency of the 47-day renewal requirement approaching or the need for automation it will necessitate."

The Quantum Security Challenge

The transition to post-quantum cryptography presents another major hurdle. Organizations must prioritize implementing comprehensive website security measures to protect against emerging threats:

• 98% of organizations anticipate difficulties with PQC implementation
• 92% expect to encounter implementation barriers
• Only 14% have completed assessments of quantum-vulnerable systems

Tim Mackey, Head of Software Supply Chain Risk Strategy at Black Duck, emphasizes the business impact: "Expired or revoked certificates break trust between clients and services, affecting both end users and business partnerships. Shorter expiration windows reduce encryption key misuse risks but require automated management systems."

Practical Implications for Businesses

Organizations seeking to strengthen their e-commerce cybersecurity infrastructure can take several steps to prepare for these changes:

1. Implement automated certificate management systems
2. Conduct thorough assessments of quantum-vulnerable systems
3. Develop comprehensive transition plans for PQC implementation

Ben Volkow, Co-Founder and CEO at QIZ Security, emphasizes the importance of modernization: "PQC migration presents an opportunity to modernize cryptography management and align with today's distributed IT models and AI-driven operations."

Trey Ford, Chief Strategy and Trust Officer at Bugcrowd, notes additional technical considerations: "PQC implementation will require testing for larger certificates, heavier cryptographic processing loads, and new ciphers and libraries. Organizations must plan for increased compute requirements and power demands."

This technological shift represents one of the most significant cryptographic challenges of the decade, requiring immediate attention and strategic planning from business leaders to ensure continued security and operational efficiency. For more information about SSL certificate management, visit the DigiCert SSL Certificate Management Guide.

Begin planning automated certificate management implementations, start budgeting for necessary infrastructure upgrades, and develop staff training programs for new cryptographic systems.