Let's Encrypt Has Issued a Billion Certificates (letsencrypt.org)

Article summary

Let's Encrypt has issued its billionth certificate, marking a significant milestone in the organization's efforts to promote internet security and privacy. The organization has grown to serve nearly 192 million websites with a small staff and budget. The widespread adoption of HTTPS is attributed to the ease of use of the ACME protocol and incentives from browsers. Let's Encrypt's services are provided for free, relying on donations and sponsorships.

Main themes

• Let's Encrypt milestone
• Internet security and privacy
• Certificate authority and issuance
• ACME protocol and automation
• Risks and reliability
• Funding and donations
• Government involvement and regulation
• Competition and market dynamics

What commenters say

• The milestone of issuing a billion certificates is impressive, but it includes renewals, so the actual number of websites served is lower.
• Let's Encrypt's success is a result of its careful and tactical approach to providing free and automated certificates.
• Relying on a single certificate authority like Let's Encrypt poses risks, such as potential compromises or outages, and having multiple providers is a good practice.
• Some commenters argue that essential services like certificate issuance should be a planetary responsibility, while others believe that government involvement would be a catastrophe in terms of surveillance and censorship.
• The use of Certificate Transparency can help catch rogue certificate authorities, but it is not a foolproof solution.
• Having multiple ACME providers with automated retries and fallbacks can ensure continuity of service in case of failures.
• The success of Let's Encrypt has promoted competition in the certificate market, with other providers offering similar services.
• The organization's funding model, relying on donations, is seen as a strength, allowing it to maintain its independence and focus on providing a public service.