A woman with blond hair wearing a black shirt leans her elbows on her desk and holds her head in her hands as she stares in frustration at a computer screen

Imagine coming in on a typical Monday morning, when suddenly you find out your town’s website is down. You get calls from board and committee members, and members of the public, saying they can’t access agendas and other town services online. The Council and a few boards all have meetings tonight. The town solicitor suggests cancelling them to abide by open meetings laws. You can’t publish the cancellations on your website. Now there’s dozens of calls to make and emails to send, and the headache of rescheduling when you don’t quite know when the site will be up again.

Everyone is asking why. And it’s something so simple and preventable. Your town’s SSL certificate has expired. It can happen to anyone, and it did happen to a town in Massachusetts recently.

Here’s how to prevent it from happening to your town:

The Reality Check

Not every municipal office has a dedicated IT professional. But EVERY municipal website needs protection.

For Clerks WITH an IT Department

  • Schedule quarterly SSL certificate reviews
  • Request automated renewal confirmation
  • Establish clear communication protocols
  • Maintain a shared tracking document

For Clerks WITHOUT an IT Support

🚨 You’re the Front Line of Digital Security 🚨

Essential Action Steps

  1. Mark SSL Expiration Dates
  • Use simple tools like Google Calendar
  • Set multiple reminders (90, 60, 30 days before expiration)
  • Create a physical backup log
  1. Budget-Friendly Tracking
  • Free SSL tracking websites
  • Vendor-provided monitoring
  • Annual certificate management checklist
  1. Low-Cost Protection Strategies
  • Many web hosting services offer automatic renewals
  • Some provide basic SSL management
  • Ask about included security services

Warning Signs to Watch

  • Browser security warnings
  • Websites showing “Not Secure”
  • Unexpected access restrictions
  • Vendor communication delays

Your Minimum Viable Plan

  1. Know your certificate’s expiration date
  2. Have a vendor contact list
  3. Understand basic renewal process
  4. Create a simple backup communication plan

💡 Pro Tip: Your state’s municipal association might offer free tech resources!

Stay Secure, Stay Informed