What is changing?
There is a significant industry-wide change regarding SSL certificates. Effective March 15, 2026, Certificate Authorities (CAs) are reducing the maximum lifespan of all public SSL certificates from 398 days to 200 days. This change is mandated by the CA/Browser Forum and supported by all major browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Edge.
The Goal: To enhance web security by ensuring that website ownership is verified more frequently (twice a year instead of once) and to reduce the window of exposure if a security key is ever compromised.
Current SSL Certificates If you have an active SSL certificate issued before March 2026, it is not affected. You do not need to take any action until your current certificate reaches its original expiration date.
New SSL Certificates & Renewals For any SSL Certificate purchased and issued after March 15, 2026, a new certificate file must be generated and installed every 200 days.
· Important: This does not necessarily mean you need to purchase a new certificate every 200 days. If you have a multi-year SSL, you will simply need to perform a free re-validation and re-installation every 200 days to keep the "padlock" active.
Industry-Wide Roadmap
This is the first phase of a multi-year plan to move the internet toward even shorter, more secure lifecycles:
|
SSL Max Term Limit |
Required Updates per Year |
Industry Deadline |
|
200 Days |
~2 |
March 15, 2026 |
|
100 Days |
~4 |
March 15, 2027 |
|
47 Days |
~8 |
March 15, 2029 |
Free SSL Installation & Management
We are here to help you navigate these changes! If you have an active hosting account and have purchased an SSL from us:
· New Installations: After purchasing your SSL certificate, simply open a support ticket, and we will install it for you free of cost.
· Ongoing Maintenance: When your certificate needs to be re-validated and re-installed after 200 days, just reach out to us again via ticket. Our team will handle the technical re-validation and re-installation at no extra charge.
Saturday, March 14, 2026
