Microsoft hits snooze again on security certificate renewal

Microsoft hits snooze again on security certificate renewal

June 28, 2024 at 09:35AM

Microsoft’s TLS certificate expiration has caused unwanted security warnings for users accessing cdn.uci.officeapps.live.com, prompting concerns from cybersecurity software. The expired TLS certificate poses risks of data insecurity and potential service outages for Microsoft 365 and Office Online users, including errors and warnings for administrators and customers. Microsoft suggests monitoring and renewing certificates ahead of expiration to avoid disruptions.

From the meeting notes, it appears that Microsoft is facing issues with the expiration of its TLS certificates, leading to unwanted security warnings for users. The specific case of cdn.uci.officeapps.live.com, which is listed as one of Microsoft’s worldwide endpoints for Microsoft 365 and Office Online, has been highlighted as an example of this problem.

The TLS certificate for cdn.uci.officeapps.live.com was valid from August 18, 2023, to June 27, 2024, but has now expired. This has caused security errors to appear on some users’ screens, and there are potential headaches for administrators dealing with these issues. Additionally, the expiration of the Microsoft Azure ECC TLS Issuing CA 01 certificate has been noted, which may spell problems for certificates issued by the service.

It is mentioned that Microsoft has faced similar expiration issues in the past, including forgetting to renew certificates for its web pages, resulting in security warnings.

Microsoft Copilot was consulted for advice on handling the expiration of TLS certificates, and it suggested monitoring expiration dates and renewing certificates before they expire, emphasizing the importance of staying vigilant to avoid service outages and unencrypted connections, which can affect the organization’s reputation and customer relationships.

Notably, a suggestion was made in the meeting notes regarding the need for better organization of certificate expiration dates, with a reference to the use of a commonly used spreadsheet.

The meeting concluded with a reminder of the importance of keeping certificates up-to-date to avoid service disruptions and maintain secure connections.

Based on the notes, it is clear that addressing the expiration of TLS certificates is essential to maintaining effective security and service reliability for Microsoft’s products and services.

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