SSL/TLS Certificate Management

SSL/TLS certificates encrypt web traffic and authenticate server identity. Expired certificates cause browser warnings that undermine user trust and break HTTPS. Managing certificate expiration is a routine IT responsibility. Track certificates: maintain a spreadsheet or use a certificate monitoring tool (Cert Spotter, Keychest, or site-specific monitoring in tools like PRTG) with expiration dates, renewing owner, and hosting location. Set calendar reminders to renew 30 days before expiry. For public websites: Let's Encrypt provides free 90-day certificates with automated renewal via Certbot or hosting platform integration — set up automation rather than relying on manual renewal. For internal systems and Exchange servers: use your internal CA (if you have one) or a commercial certificate from DigiCert, Sectigo, or similar. When a certificate expires: replace it immediately — browsers block access to sites with expired certificates. During renewal, verify the certificate chain is complete (intermediate certificates included) and the domain name matches exactly.