What is SSL?
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a security technology that is used to establish an encrypted connection between a web server and a browser. This encryption ensures that all data passed between the web server and the browser remains private and secure to provide end-to-end secure transmission of web request. It helps in preventing the misuse and stealing of any information transferred via networks which is very crucial for the sanctity of a website.
What is SSL Certificate?
An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates a website’s identity and enables an encrypted connection. In virtual world, there are few entities known as a certificate authority (CA) that stores, signs, and issues digital certificates that certifies the ownership of a public key by the named subject of the certificate which is the website domain name. A CA acts as a trusted third party – trusted both by the owner of the certificate and by the party relying upon the certificate.
Companies and organizations need to add SSL certificates to their websites to secure online transactions and keep customer information private and secure.
SSL core features:
- Encryption: SSL encrypts data, making it unreadable to anyone except the intended recipient. This prevents hackers from intercepting sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, and personal details.
- Authentication: SSL certificates provide authentication, ensuring that users are communicating with the intended website and not an impostor. This prevents phishing attacks.
- Data Integrity: SSL ensures that data cannot be modified or corrupted during transfer without being detected.
Why you need an SSL Certificate?
Websites need SSL certificates to keep user data secure, verify ownership of the website, prevent attackers from creating a fake version of the site, and convey trust to users. SSL certificate is required for an HTTPS web address.
HTTPS is the secure form of HTTP, which means that HTTPS websites have their traffic encrypted by SSL. Most browsers tag HTTP sites – those without SSL certificates – as “not secure.” This sends a clear signal to users that the site may not be trustworthy – incentivizing businesses who have not done so to migrate to HTTPS.
There are many important aspects of SSL which makes it madatory for any secure website business. Following are the important aspects which cannot be ignored for a secure and reliable website:-
- Security: SSL protects sensitive data during online transactions, such as online banking, e-commerce, and login credentials, making it crucial for websites that handle personal or financial information.
- Trust: SSL certificates provide visual indicators (like a padlock icon or “https://” in the URL) that assure users the site is secure. This builds trust and confidence among users.
- SEO Benefits: Search engines like Google favor websites with SSL certificates, giving them a ranking boost in search results. This is important for visibility and attracting more visitors.
- Compliance: For certain industries, SSL is a requirement to comply with regulations and standards like PCI-DSS for payment processing.
- Protecting Reputation: A lack of SSL can expose a website to attacks, leading to data breaches that can damage a website’s reputation and result in legal consequences.
How do SSL Certificates work?
SSL certificate works by establishing a secure, encrypted connection between a web server and a user’s browser by ensuring that any data transferred between users and websites, or between two systems, remains intact and tempered proof. The transmission request between the web server and browser includes potentially sensitive personal information such as names, addresses, credit card numbers, or other financial details.
The process works like this:
- SSL Handshake Process: When a user attempts to connect to a website secured with SSL, their browser sends a request to the web server. This request includes the SSL version, the encryption algorithms as supported by the browser, and a randomly generated number. The server responds with its response message, which includes the SSL certificate, the selected encryption algorithms, and another random number.
- Certificate Verification: The browser verifies the server’s SSL certificate against a list of trusted CAs. If the certificate is valid and matches the domain, the browser proceeds. If not, the user may see a warning indicating the connection is not secure.
- Session Key Generation: After verifying the server’s certificate, the browser generates a temporary key, and encrypts it with the server’s public key (from the SSL certificate). This encrypted key is sent back to the server.
The server decrypts the secret key using its private key. Both the server and the browser then use this secret key, along with the previously exchanged random numbers, to generate a session key. - Secure Data Transmission: With the session key established, both the server and the browser use it to encrypt and decrypt all data sent between them. This ensures that even if the data is intercepted, it cannot be read by anyone who does not possess the session key. SSL also ensures data integrity by using a message authentication code (MAC) to verify that the data has not been tampered during transit.
- Session Closure: Once the secure session is over, the browser and server can close the SSL connection. The session key is discarded, and a new one will be generated the next time an SSL connection is established.
Types of SSL Certificates
SSL Certificates categorized into the following:
- Domain Validation (DV) SSL Certificate: This is the most basic type of SSL certificate. It verifies that the applicant has control over the domain. Typically used by small businesses or personal websites.
- Organization Validation (OV) SSL Certificate: Provides a higher level of assurance than DV certificates by validating the organization’s identity. The CA verifies not only the domain ownership but also the organization’s details, such as name and address. Suitable for businesses and organizations that want to provide more trust to their visitors.
- Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificate: Provides the highest level of trust and security. It is often recognized by a green address bar in browsers. It has Extensive validation process, including a thorough examination of the organization’s legal, physical, and operational existence. Ideal for large businesses, financial institutions, and e-commerce sites that need to provide a high level of trust to their users.
- Wildcard SSL Certificate: Secures a single domain and an unlimited number of its subdomains. It can be DV SSL Certificate or OV SSL Certificate. The organizations that need to secure multiple subdomains under one domain opt for wildcard SSL Certificate.
- Multi-Domain SSL Certificate (MDC): As the name suggest, it secures multiple domains and/or subdomains using a single certificate. It Can be DV, OV, or EV type SSL Certificates and mostly suitable for businesses that operate with multiple domains.
How to set up an SSL for your website?
Setting up an SSL certificate on your website involves several steps. Here’s a general reference on how to go for it:
- Choose the Right SSL Certificate that is most suitable to your business requirements. It can be Single Domain, Wildcard, or Multi-Domain type.
- Generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) – Most web hosting control panels (like cPanel) have a built-in tool to generate a CSR. When generating the CSR, you’ll need to provide your organization’s name, domain name, and contact details.
- Submit the CSR to a Certificate Authority (CA) – After completing the process, the CSR details are required to sent to the Certificate Authority (CA) you choose to go with. There are many CAs, such as Let’s Encrypt (free), DigiCert, Comodo, Verisign etc.
- Validating SSL – Depending on the type of SSL certificate, the CA will validate your domain and possibly your organization. For DV certificates, this may be as simple as responding to an email sent to the domain’s registered email address.
- Download and Install the SSL Certificate – After validation, the CA will issue the SSL certificate, which can be downloaded from their portal.Installing SSL:
For cPanel: Go to “SSL/TLS” > “Install an SSL Certificate” and upload your certificate files.
For Apache: Update the .conf file with the paths to the certificate files (e.g., SSLCertificateFile, SSLCertificateKeyFile, SSLCertificateChainFile).
For Nginx: Update the nginx.conf file with the paths to the certificate files (e.g., ssl_certificate, ssl_certificate_key).Force HTTPS: Configure your server to redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS. You can use .htaccess file with the RewriteEngine directive to force HTTPS. Ensure all internal links, images, and scripts use HTTPS. - Test the SSL Installation –
SSL Checker Tools: Use tools like SSL Labs, SSL Test or Why No Padlock to verify that your SSL certificate is installed correctly. Browser Check: Visit your website in a browser to confirm the padlock icon appears, indicating the connection is secure.
Note: Keep a secure backup of your private key in case you need to reinstall the SSL certificate and regularly monitor your SSL status to ensure that there are no vulnerabilities or configuration errors. By following these steps, you can successfully set up an SSL certificate on your website, ensuring secure and encrypted connections for your users.
For more details and feedback, you can reach out to us at WordPromise
