“Many banks still manage their digital certificates with Excel spreadsheets, even though the regulatory implications have long been known. This is not only inefficient – it’s risky.”
(Dirk Strauch, NTT Data, Oktober 10, 2025)

The German trade magazine IT-Finanzmagazin recently warned of a “ticking time bomb”:

“Many banks still manage their digital certificates with Excel spreadsheets, even though the regulatory implications have long been known. This is not only inefficient – it’s risky.”
(Dirk Strauch, NTT Data, October 10, 2025)

And it’s not just banks. Organizations in every industry face similar risks when managing hundreds or even thousands of TLS certificates manually.
With the global reduction of certificate validity periods to only 47 days by 2029, combined with new requirements under DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) and other international compliance frameworks, one thing is clear:
Excel is no longer an option for certificate management.

Why Spreadsheets Fail

When certificates expire unnoticed or are configured incorrectly, the results can be costly: system outages, compliance breaches, or contractual penalties.
As Dirk Strauch put it:
“When certificates are recorded and managed manually, errors are virtually pre-programmed.”
Manual tracking in spreadsheets simply cannot keep up with today’s dynamic IT environments. Forgotten, duplicate, or self-signed certificates often go unnoticed — until they cause downtime or security alerts.

Take Control with essendi xc

This is where essendi xc comes in — a comprehensive Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) solution designed to bring visibility, automation, and compliance to digital certificate management.

essendi xc delivers:

  • A centralized overview of all certificates across systems and issuers
  • Automated monitoring with smart alerts and escalation rules
  • Flexible integration with existing PKI environments, applications, and IT infrastructures
  • Automated renewal and deployment using ACME, SCEP, or CMP
  • Compliance and security aligned with DORA, ISO 27001, and other international standards

With essendi xc, organizations can eliminate risks caused by human error, reduce administrative effort, and ensure uninterrupted business operations.

Time to Act

The “ticking time bomb” described by IT-Finanzmagazin is real — but it can be defused.
Organizations that still rely on manual certificate management expose themselves to unnecessary risk.
With essendi xc, you gain full transparency, automation, and control — ensuring your digital infrastructure remains secure, compliant, and resilient.

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