WILMINGTON, DE — CSC has released its first SSL Landscape report, revealing that nearly 60% of organizations rely on three or more secure sockets layer (SSL) providers — a sign of fragmented management and a lack of preparedness for major upcoming industry changes that could heighten cybersecurity risks.
The report analyzed more than 802,000 digital certificates tied to 2.4 million domains, identifying widespread decentralization in how companies oversee SSL credentials. The findings come ahead of sweeping changes by the CA/Browser Forum that will shorten SSL and transport layer security (TLS) certificate life cycles from the current 367 days to 200 in 2026 and just 47 by 2029. Domain control validation (DCV) re-use periods will also fall to 10 days by 2028, forcing organizations to renew certificates as often as eight times a year.
“SSL certificates play a critical role in authenticating the legitimacy and safety of an online brand,” said Mark Flegg, senior director of technology at CSC Security Products and Services. “As the industry approaches shortened SSL certificate renewal life cycles, organizations cannot afford to delay their transitions to certificate automation or to compromise their security with fragmented SSL management.”
CSC found that 72% of respondents were unaware of or unfamiliar with these upcoming changes. Many have yet to prepare for automation, risking operational disruptions from expired certificates that could take down critical infrastructure — including payment systems, email servers, VPNs, and collaboration tools.
The report also highlighted trends in certificate types and providers. Domain-validated (DV) certificates make up 73.5% of all certificates in use, while organization-validated (OV) certificates account for 24.6% and extended validation (EV) certificates only 1.9%. The dominance of low-cost DV certificates, often issued by consumer-grade providers, increases the risk of brand impersonation and phishing attacks, as cybercriminals use similar certificates to create fraudulent, seemingly legitimate websites.
CSC warned that the majority of DV certificates — about 89% — come from non-enterprise providers that may not offer the security infrastructure or support needed for large-scale certificate management. This lack of readiness could create serious vulnerabilities and service interruptions as renewal cycles accelerate.
“Organizations are about to face the most transformative period for domain security,” Flegg said. “A lack of understanding around proper certificate strategy, and the absence of urgency to effectively prepare for new certificate life cycles, will leave many online brands playing a never-ending game of catch-up. Those who prioritize automation and consolidation will ensure a smoother, safer transition.”
CSC’s SSL Landscape report underscores an urgent need for companies to centralize their SSL management and adopt automation to maintain digital trust and operational continuity. The full report is available at cscdbs.com.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.