Setting Up SSL Certificate Monitoring

Introduction

SSL certificate monitoring is essential for maintaining a secure and reliable website. Expired or compromised certificates can lead to security warnings, lost traffic, and damaged reputation. This guide will walk you through setting up comprehensive monitoring for your SSL certificates using SSLytics.

Prerequisites

• A SSLytics Premium account
• One or more domains with SSL certificates
• Basic understanding of SSL certificates

Step 1: Add Domains to Monitor

Before you can set up monitoring, you need to add the domains you want to monitor to your SSLytics account.

1. Log in to your SSLytics account
2. Navigate to the SSL Checker tab
3. Enter your domain and click "Check"
4. Once the check is complete, the domain will be added to your results
5. Repeat for all domains you want to monitor

Step 2: Configure Monitoring Settings

Now that you have added your domains, you can configure monitoring settings for each one.

1. Go to the Monitoring tab in your dashboard
2. Click on "Set Up Monitoring" for a domain
3. Configure the following settings:
   • Check Frequency: How often to check the certificate (e.g., daily, weekly)
   • Expiration Alerts: When to send alerts before certificate expiration (e.g., 30, 14, 7 days)
   • Security Alerts: Enable alerts for security issues like weak ciphers or vulnerabilities
   • Grade Change Alerts: Get notified if your SSL grade changes
4. Click "Save Settings" to activate monitoring

Step 3: Set Up Notification Channels

Configure how you want to receive alerts when issues are detected.

1. Go to the Integrations tab
2. Configure one or more notification channels:
   • Email Notifications: Add email addresses to receive alerts
   • Slack Integration: Connect to your Slack workspace
   • Webhook Integration: Set up webhooks to integrate with other systems
3. Test each notification channel to ensure it's working properly

Step 4: Create Custom Alert Rules

Create custom alert rules to tailor monitoring to your specific needs.

1. Go to the Monitoring tab and select "Alert Rules"
2. Click "Add Rule" to create a new alert rule
3. Configure the rule:
   • Rule Name: Give your rule a descriptive name
   • Conditions: Set the conditions that will trigger the alert
   • Actions: Define what happens when the alert is triggered
   • Schedule: Optionally, set a schedule for when the rule should be active
4. Save the rule to activate it

Step 5: Monitor and Respond to Alerts

Once your monitoring is set up, you'll need to monitor and respond to alerts as they come in.

1. Check the Alerts tab regularly to see any active alerts
2. Respond to alerts promptly:
   • For expiration alerts, renew your certificate before it expires
   • For security alerts, address the identified vulnerabilities
   • For grade changes, investigate what caused the change
3. Acknowledge alerts once they've been addressed

Best Practices

• Set up multiple notification channels to ensure alerts are not missed
• Configure early expiration alerts (at least 30 days in advance) to give yourself plenty of time to renew certificates
• Regularly review your monitoring settings to ensure they still meet your needs
• Use bulk operations to efficiently manage multiple domains
• Document your certificate renewal process to ensure smooth handoffs between team members

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with your monitoring setup, here are some common problems and solutions:

• Not receiving alerts: Check your notification settings and ensure your email is not filtering the alerts as spam
• False positives: Adjust your alert thresholds to reduce unnecessary alerts
• Missing domains: Make sure all domains are added to your account and have monitoring enabled

Conclusion

By following this guide, you've set up comprehensive SSL certificate monitoring that will help you maintain a secure and reliable website. Regular monitoring will help you avoid unexpected certificate expirations and quickly identify security issues.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact our support team at support@sslytics.com.