SSL Monitoring

Created on 30 November, 2024 • Docs • 211 views • 3 minutes read

SSL monitoring is a crucial feature that helps ensure your website's security certificates are valid, properly installed, and operational.

Pingtr allows customers to monitor SSL certificates as part of domain name checks, providing detailed insights and timely notifications to prevent unexpected SSL-related issues.

Why SSL Monitoring Is Important

Key Benefits:

Prevent Downtime:

Expired SSL certificates can lead to site inaccessibility, lost revenue, and reduced trust from customers.

Ensure Secure Connections:

Validate that SSL certificates are installed correctly and function as intended, ensuring encrypted connections.

Custom Notifications:

Proactively receive alerts about SSL expiration to renew certificates before they cause problems.

Monitor Special SSL Configurations:

Track SSL certificates for specific ports or services beyond standard websites.

Features of SSL Monitoring in Pingtr

1. SSL Insights

Each domain name check provides detailed SSL information, including:

  1. Expiration Date: Know exactly when your certificate will expire (e.g., "Expiring on 31 January, 2025").
  2. SSL Provider: Identify the issuer of the certificate (e.g., "DigiCert SHA2 High Assurance Server CA").

2. Special Notification Configurations

You can customize how and when you receive SSL notifications:

SSL Expiration Notifications:

Get notified before your certificate expires (e.g., 30 days, 7 days, or 1 day prior).

SSL Port:

Monitor specific ports (e.g., 443 for HTTPS, 8443 for custom secure services).

Custom Notification Channels:

Receive alerts through email, Slack, or other integrated systems.

Setting Up SSL Monitoring with Domain Name Checks

Step 1: Create a Domain Name Check

  1. Visit the Pingtr Domain Check Creation Page.
  2. Fill in the required details:
  3. Domain Name: Enter the website or domain you want to monitor (e.g., example.com).
  4. SSL Port: Specify the port you want to monitor (default is 443).
  5. Enable SSL Monitoring:
  6. Toggle the SSL monitoring option.
  7. Specify when you want to receive expiration notifications (e.g., 30 days before expiration).
  8. Save the configuration.

Step 2: View SSL Insights

Once the check is active, you can view detailed SSL insights for the monitored domain:

Certificate Expiration:

Example: "Expiring on 31 January, 2025"

SSL Provider:

Example: "DigiCert SHA2 High Assurance Server CA"

Certificate Details:

View additional information, such as the subject, issuer, and encryption algorithms.

Step 3: Configure Notification Preferences

Pingtr allows you to customize notification settings for SSL-related events:

Expiration Notifications:

Choose how far in advance you want to be notified (e.g., 30 days, 7 days, 1 day).

Custom Channels:

Configure notifications via email, Slack, Telegram, or other integrated tools.

Grace Period:

Define a period after an alert is raised for acknowledgment or action.

Use Cases for SSL Monitoring

1. Monitoring Standard Websites

  1. Scenario: An e-commerce website wants to ensure its SSL certificate remains valid.
  2. Implementation: Set up a domain check for www.shoponline.com on port 443.
  3. Benefit: Avoid disruptions in secure transactions and maintain user trust.

2. Monitoring Custom SSL Services

  1. Scenario: A company uses a secure API running on a non-standard port 8443.
  2. Implementation: Set up an SSL check for api.company.com with port 8443.
  3. Benefit: Ensure the API remains secure and accessible for clients and integrations.

3. Managing Multiple Domains

  1. Scenario: A digital agency manages SSL certificates for multiple client websites.
  2. Implementation: Create domain name checks for each client (e.g., client1.com, client2.com) with expiration notifications 30 days in advance.
  3. Benefit: Prevent clients’ certificates from expiring unnoticed, reinforcing the agency's reliability.

4. Monitoring Internal Applications

  1. Scenario: An internal tool uses an SSL certificate on a specific port (e.g., 8443).
  2. Implementation: Set up a check for the internal service’s domain or IP address.
  3. Benefit: Ensure internal tools remain secure and functional.

Example Configuration for SSL Monitoring

Example 1: Standard HTTPS Website

  1. Domain Name: www.example.com
  2. SSL Port: 443
  3. Expiration Notifications: 30 days, 7 days, and 1 day before expiration.

Example 2: Custom SSL Service

  1. Domain Name: secure-api.example.com
  2. SSL Port: 8443
  3. Expiration Notifications: 15 days and 3 days before expiration.

Tips for Effective SSL Monitoring

Monitor All Critical Domains:

Include subdomains and staging environments in your SSL checks.

Customize Notifications:

Adjust notification settings to align with your renewal process.

Include Non-Standard Ports:

Don’t overlook APIs, secure services, or internal tools running on custom ports.

Test Notifications:

Verify that notifications are received as expected by simulating expiration scenarios.

By integrating SSL monitoring into your domain name checks, Pingtr helps you maintain secure, reliable services for your users, clients, and internal teams.