Source URL: https://apple.slashdot.org/story/24/10/15/2324206/sysadmins-rage-over-apples-nightmarish-ssltls-cert-lifespan-cuts?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed
Source: Slashdot
Title: Sysadmins Rage Over Apple’s ‘Nightmarish’ SSL/TLS Cert Lifespan Cuts
Feedly Summary:
AI Summary and Description: Yes
Summary: The text discusses Apple’s proposal to significantly shorten the lifespan of SSL/TLS security certificates from 398 days to just 45 days by 2027, a move that has provoked concern among sysadmins regarding the increased management burdens this will impose, despite the potential security benefits.
Detailed Description:
The proposal from Apple, which is currently in draft form and will be voted on by Certification Authority Browser Forum (CA/B Forum) members, aims to enhance internet security by reducing the maximum validity period of SSL/TLS certificates. Key points include:
– **Reduction in Lifespan**: Apple plans to shorten the validity of SSL/TLS certificates from 398 days to 45 days, aligning with an initiative already pursued by Google, which aims for a 90-day maximum.
– **Impact on Sysadmins**: Many system administrators (sysadmins) express frustration over this proposal, fearing it will create significant additional workloads. Comments from sysadmins on platforms like Reddit highlight their concerns, pointing out:
– Frequent manual intervention will be required to renew certificates.
– Increased complexity in managing multiple certs expiring at different times.
– **Potential Security Benefits**: Shorter certificate lifespans could decrease the likelihood that criminals can exploit vulnerabilities associated with old or outdated certificates. The underlying rationale is to enhance overall internet security.
– **Industry Response**: Even Certificate Authority providers, like Sectigo—who sponsored the proposal—acknowledged that implementing shorter lifespans for certificates could pose challenges for IT security teams who already manage multiple certificates.
– **Automation Limitations**: Although automation is suggested as a possible mitigation strategy, many sysadmins reported limitations with automation in their environments, with certain SSL certificates requiring manual management.
Overall, this move could lead to both improvements in security through timely certificate renewals and considerable operational challenges for those responsible for managing these certificates within organizations. The security and compliance landscape will likely need to adapt to these changes, potentially influencing practices around automation and certificate management strategies.
Key Areas of Focus:
– **SSL/TLS Certificate Management**: Critical for information security.
– **Operational Burden on IT Teams**: Highlighting the intersection of security practices and operational capabilities.
– **Automation in Security**: Exploring the limitations and necessary improvements in automated solutions for certificate handling.