SSL Certificates Expire at all the Wrong Times

You don’t have to be a tech genius to know that when a website crashes, all hell breaks loose. Imagine you’ve created a wonderful, insightful, booming business selling the finest grapes in the world. GetYourGrapes.com is a hit, and people from Cali to Italy to Japan are placing orders for your small-farm grapes, and you’ve finally decided to take a little vacation (and take advantage of some of this cash money you’ve been making selling grapes on your awesome website).

You’re finishing your first lunch at the cabana just off the beach (you let yourself pick the fancy one that offers massages with your piña colada) when KABLAM. Your VP is blowing up your phone saying that customers are irate and calling in because they can’t order any grapes off of GetYourGrapes.com! Apparently, it stopped functioning Friday night, but nobody wanted to ruin your trip, so you’ve just found out. It is Tuesday. 

You run back to your hotel room at the resort, refusing to get that much-needed massage (and you left half of your drink at the bar). Day ruined. And now your IT tech is texting you about an SSL certificate needing to be renewed to fix the problem. 

“That’s all it was… a certificate..?” you ponder as you look out your window to see the wait staff back down at the fancy cabana dumping the remains of your piña colada in the trash. What a waste. And what a bad look for your grape business!

So what even is an SSL certificate, and why does it matter? Though fairly annoying to maintain, they are absolutely necessary.

First off, SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer, and they are all about security on the internet. We won’t go into all the details, but – essentially – it is a security protocol to maintain the integrity of online communication, and every website/domain is given an expiring license to ensure accuracy and security between the client and server to prevent unauthorized users or cybercriminals to steal information or claim to be your website.

SSL certificates have had a range of expiration dates, however currently the standard maximum is 13 months. So that means that at least every 13 months this certification must be renewed to ensure your website remains valid, secure, and usable. Such a small thing, but it really can deter a whole entire operation. 

Now, we know what you’re thinking… Who has the time or patience or mind to remember this random thing every 13 months? Luckily for you, you don’t have to worry about your hustling and bustling website (that you’ve undoubtedly spent countless hours and dollars perfecting) suddenly failing because somebody forgot to renew the SSL certificate. 

You can continue to focus on running your business, treating your patients, and focusing on fulfilling your job with excellence. Simply Psych is devoted to providing all the best administrative support to help you run the business side of your practice (and that includes helping maintain your really cool website!).