Introduction
Every modern website uses SSL/TLS certificates to encrypt traffic and prove authenticity. But certificates don’t last forever — they expire, often in 90 days or a year.
While certificate expiry may seem like a small oversight, the consequences are massive. When a certificate expires, it breaks user trust, disrupts payments, and can even result in non-compliance with PCI DSS.
In this post, we’ll explore what happens when SSL certificates expire, real-world examples of damage, and how Breachfin helps prevent it from ever happening on your watch.
What Happens When an SSL Certificate Expires?
When a user visits your site, their browser checks:
- Is the certificate valid?
- Is it signed by a trusted authority?
- Has it expired?
If the certificate is expired, the browser will throw a security error:
❌ “Your connection is not private”
❌ “NET::ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID”
Most users immediately bounce. Payment forms, login pages, and secure portals all become inaccessible. APIs using HTTPS will also fail silently or return errors.
Business Impact of Expired Certificates
- Loss of Customer Trust
Visitors perceive expired certificates as a sign of negligence or compromise. Even loyal users may abandon the session. - Failed Payments
SSL errors on checkout pages lead to cart abandonment, failed payment gateway redirects, or even blocked third-party scripts like Stripe or PayPal. - SEO Downgrade
Google Chrome and search engines penalize domains with invalid SSL, harming rankings and visibility. - Compliance Violations
PCI DSS, HIPAA, and SOC 2 all require secure communication over HTTPS. Expired certificates violate that guarantee. - Integration Failures
APIs relying on TLS handshake (B2B partners, internal services) will stop responding, causing cascading downtime across systems.
Real-World Examples
- LinkedIn (2018): Internal services failed after a certificate expired, causing outages across the platform.
- Microsoft Teams (2020): An expired certificate blocked authentication, leading to login issues for millions.
- Epic Games (2023): An expired cert brought down services during a major Fortnite update — triggering backlash on social media.
These incidents weren’t caused by hackers — they were the result of missed renewal deadlines.
Why Manual Tracking Doesn’t Work
Relying on spreadsheets, calendar reminders, or human memory is unreliable.
Even cloud-managed certificates from AWS, Azure, or Cloudflare can fail due to:
- Misconfigured automation
- DNS issues
- Manual overrides in staging/production
That’s why Breachfin includes automated certificate expiry monitoring for all domains scanned.
How Breachfin Prevents SSL Certificate Surprises
Breachfin continuously checks:
- Your domain’s active SSL certificates
- Expiry dates (with alerts starting 30 days in advance)
- Issuer and strength of encryption (RSA vs. ECDSA)
- Certificate chain and intermediate validity
- Wildcard and SAN coverage
When a certificate is close to expiration, Breachfin can:
- Send webhook alerts to Slack, email, or your SIEM
- Highlight affected domains in your dashboard
- Include the status in your risk score and audit reports
This allows your team to stay ahead of downtime — and maintain trust.
Final Thoughts
Expired SSL certificates aren’t a small mistake — they’re a high-impact failure in user experience, business continuity, and compliance.
With Breachfin, you can stop worrying about expiration dates and focus on what matters: securing every user session, every time.
Run a full SSL check now at breachfin.com and get notified before a certificate ever costs you a conversion.
