Instagram has adopted an unconventional approach to web security by rotating its TLS (Transport Layer Security) certificates daily, using certificates that are set to expire in just over a week.
This aggressive certificate management strategy stands out in an industry where certificates typically last for months, and comes amid broader moves to shorten certificate lifespans across the internet.
A New Standard for Certificate Lifetimes
Traditionally, SSL/TLS certificates—which secure the connection between users and websites—have been issued for periods ranging from 90 days to a year.
However, recent industry trends, driven by the CA/Browser Forum, are pushing for shorter certificate lifespans to improve security and reduce the window of opportunity for attackers to exploit compromised keys.
By 2029, the maximum allowed certificate validity will drop to just 47 days, but Instagram is already taking this concept further by effectively using certificates for only a single day.
A recent independent investigation revealed that Instagram’s main domain and its “www” subdomain each receive separate certificates, despite the main domain’s wildcard certificate being technically capable of covering both.
Data collected over several weeks showed that Instagram introduces a new certificate each day, typically with about eight days left before it expires, and retires the previous one with just over seven days remaining.
This daily rotation occurs consistently, usually between 16:00 and 17:00 UTC.
Security Benefits and Industry Implications
The rationale behind this rapid rotation appears to be a desire to minimize the risk associated with certificate compromise.
If a certificate’s private key were to be leaked, its utility to an attacker would be severely limited by the short remaining validity.
Some security experts speculate that this practice may have been adopted in response to a past incident involving a leaked certificate, prompting Instagram to hard-limit the duration any single certificate can be abused.
While this approach is more aggressive than current industry requirements, it also introduces operational complexity.
Frequent certificate changes require robust automation and careful key management to avoid service disruptions.
It is unclear whether this practice significantly improves security, as the main risk—private key theft—remains if keys are not securely stored.
However, Instagram’s strategy may inspire other large platforms to reconsider their certificate management policies as the industry moves toward shorter certificate lifespans.
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