Google plans to distrust Symantec Certificates when it rolls out an updated version of Chrome later this year. Chrome will begin removing trust in Symantec SSL Certificates as early as April 2018. By October 2018, Chrome will fully distrust Symantec and all the certificates it previously issued. Symantec’s Public Key Infrastructure business issued SSLs for brands like Thawte, VeriSign, Equifax, GeoTrust, and RapidSSL, meaning the impact of this decision could be widespread.
Why It Matters
The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protects data transferred over HTTP using encryption enabled by a server’s SSL Certificate. This builds trust with users viewing your site by establishing a secure connection. You may recognize this as the HTTPS indicator preceding a website URL in the address bar of your browser. If your website uses a Symantec SSL Certificate, Chrome will not display any secure areas of your site once the distrust takes place. This will have significant impact on e-commerce sites that depend on a secure connection to host online shopping carts and facilitate checkout transactions.
What To Do
If your Certificate is affected, you will need to replace it with a new one from a Certificate Authority that is trusted by Chrome. Not sure if your site will be impacted? We can help you determine if your site’s SSL Certificate is affected and update it for you to avoid disruption to your business. Fill out the form below and we will be in touch with you.
