Updated, 25 November 2024.
FAO Mosaic website Site Owner and Administrators: please note changes to Mosaic website certificates being implemented in November and December 2024. Details provided below are for information only. No action is required.
Summary
We are changing the SSL certificate supplier for Oxford Mosaic. 'Acquia Edge powered by Akamai' will be used in front of Mosaic (and the new Oxford Fresco platform) to provide both firewall and security certificate management for platform websites. We will not be adding or removing custom domains from the SSL certificate during this change.
Why are we doing this?
- To improve security by implementing best-practice standards to require 90-day security certificate revalidation (down from 365-days currently)
- To better align processes and maximise efficiency when 90-day security certificate renewal is implemented.
- To replace an older product being withdrawn by the current certificate supplier
- To prepare for the transition to Oxford Fresco
What's changing?
- Old and unsupported custom domains have been removed from the certificate
- To enable us to configure the latest domain information at the point of switchover, we are operating a change freeze on custom domain names from 27 November 2024 to 6 January 2025 inclusive. No custom domains will be added or removed from SSL certificate provisioning during this period
- In order to validate the University’s ownership of the domains that need to be handled by the SSL certificates, Akamai validation token records have been added into the DNS for each domain name used on Mosaic and Fresco sites, for both platform and custom domains. This will enable Akamai to automatically validate domain ownership every 90 days
- The DNS destination address of all domains that point to Mosaic and Fresco websites is changing. The switchover will be seamless and happen in two tranches in the period 28 November to 9 December inclusive. (Note: website URLs are NOT changing.)
- There will be an amended process for provisioning SSL certificates for new custom domains and pointing them to a Mosaic site from January. Details will be given in the New Year when the Domains documentation will be updated with the new process.
Key dates
Custom domain change freeze period: 27 November 2024 to 6 January 2025 inclusive
Pointing address switch to Acquia Edge powered by Akamai: in two tranches in the period 28 November to 9 December inclusive
New custom domains process in effect: after 6 January 2025
Questions?
If you have any questions or concerns about this change, please Contact Us in the usual way.
