New tools to help organizations assess exposure, automate renewals, and build resilience in the face of shrinking certificate lifespans
CyberArk has introduced a free TLS Certificate Renewal Impact Calculator and TLS Certificate Discovery Scan to help organizations prepare for a major industry change — a sharp reduction in TLS certificate lifespans, from 398 days currently to just 47 days by 2029. The shift, mandated in phases by the CA/Browser Forum, will require frequent renewals — monthly in many cases — posing significant operational and financial challenges for enterprises, especially those relying on manual processes.
According to CyberArk, organizations managing around 500 certificates currently invest about 2,000 labor hours annually. With certificate lifespans shrinking, that could escalate to over 24,000 hours — equivalent to expanding a two-person team to 24 just to manage renewals. This sharp increase not only amplifies workforce strain but also heightens the risk of misconfigurations and system outages.
“Shorter certificate lifespans are not just a compliance change — they are a business continuity challenge.”
CyberArk research reveals that 72% of security leaders experienced at least one certificate-related outage in the past year, while 67% faced outages monthly and nearly half encountered them weekly. These service disruptions often lead to financial loss, operational downtime, and reputation damage — making proactive certificate lifecycle management a critical priority.
“Shorter certificate lifespans are more than a compliance shift — they are a business risk,” said Kurt Sand, General Manager of Machine Identity Security at CyberArk. “Manual processes cannot keep up with the surge in renewals, leading to increased outages, operational burdens, and rising costs. Our tools help organizations quickly understand their exposure and build a strong case for automation.”
The new calculator and discovery scan help organizations:
- Assess certificate exposure and identify expired or misconfigured certificates.
- Quantify the financial and time impact of shortened renewal cycles.
- Build a business case for automation and modernization.
- Reinforce resilience through CyberArk’s Identity Security Platform.
As enterprises accelerate digital transformation and expand cloud footprints, managing machine identities effectively has become essential to both security and business continuity. CyberArk’s new offerings provide a proactive pathway to automation, enabling organizations to modernize certificate management before the 47-day reality arrives.
In an era where machine identities outnumber human identities and automation governs trust, CyberArk’s initiative underscores a growing truth — protecting digital certificates is no longer an IT task, but a business imperative.
