How to get an SSL certificate?

Have you ever noticed that any website’s URL starts with http://, while others start with https:// ? Maybe you noticed that extra “s” while browsing websites that require giving over sensitive information, like you were processing payment online.

But where did that extra “s” come from, and what does it mean? To put it simply, the extra “s” means your connection to that website is secure and encrypted any important data you enter is safely shared with that website. The technology that powers that “s” is called SSL, which stands for “Secure Sockets Layer.”

When you land on a website’s page with a form to fill in and submit, the information you enter can be intercepted by hackers on an unsecured website.

So, it’s absolutely important for you to get a ssl certificate for your website. In this blog, we discuss how you can get a ssl certificate for your website.

What is SSL Certificate and how does it works

SSL(Secure Sockets Layer) is a security protocol that creates an encrypted connection between a web server and a browser. It prevents third parties from accessing or modifying information transferred.

To get an SSL certificate, website owners must buy it from a Certificate Authority, Certificate Authority will use the CSR or Certificate Signing Request to create the certificate.

When the website user’s browser tries to access the website, the web server will send a copy of the certificate for verification. If the process is successful, an SSL-secured connection will be established.

Why is it required for websites?

Some kinds of websites collect data and information from their users, whether it’s through contact forms, newsletter subscriptions or online sales.

Especially if online transactions are happening on your website, the most important thing is that you have to keep your customers’ credit card or other personal information safe. This is where an SSL certificate plays an important role.

1. An SSL certificate is useful not only for business sites but also any kind of website benefits from an added layer of security.
2. An SSL certificate not only ensures the protection of customer’s data but it also improves the position of websites on search engine results and its credibility.
3. It prevents attackers from creating a fake version of the site, and gains users’ trust.
4. SSL encryption is possible because of the public-private key pairing that SSL certificate provides. Clients (web browsers) get the public key necessary to open a TLS(Transport Layer Security) connection from a server’s SSL certificate.
5. SSL certificate verifies that a client is connected to the correct server that actually has the domain. This prevents domain spoofing and other kinds of attacks.

Limitations of SSL Certificate

By now, we have discussed many advantages or benefits of SSL certificates or encryption. However, in this section, we will address some of the most common misconceptions and limitations about SSL certificate

1. SSL Certificate keeps your website completely secure

Installing an SSL certificate does not mean your website is completely hack proof. It simply enhances the security of exchange of the data. Thus, It is still necessary to observe basic account and password precautions. Also, make sure that your website is updated and safe from malware.Use of SSL certificate encryption and implementing these measures will significantly improve the security of your website and its users.

2. Changing from HTTP to HTTPS affects speed of website

Speed is one of the main concerns when it comes to performance of the website. Many people think that HTTP sites load faster than HTTPS since HTTPS encrypts data before transferring or receiving it. However, SSL encryptions do not have any significant impact on your site speed. In fact, the latest HTTP/2 protocol used in SSL encryption can boost load times.

3. SSL only protects websites that uses process of payments

Whether you have a personal blog or a business website, your internet security can be compromised instantly if a piece of information goes into the wrong hands. Cybercriminals not only steal Credit cards and bank details as it turns out, hackers can use seemingly email addresses provided in web forms to guess login credentials and try to log in to other websites. Thus, all websites where users provide their personal information, such as membership sites, required an SSL certificate to strengthen their security.

4. Only Login Pages need SSL encryption

Nowadays,visitors are at greater risk if they access your website using public WiFi networks. Thus, SSL protection provides a more secure browsing in every single page session.

5. SSL Certificate is expensive

Several hosting providers offer low cost and even free SSL certificates with their hosting plans. Depending on the SSL certificate type that your website needs. Regardless of the type you choose, make sure to purchase it from credible certificate providing authorities.

How to get an SSL certificate

Here, we go through the process of how to get an SSL certificate for your website in a simple few steps.

1. Have the correct website information

Based on how SSL protocol works, each certificate you want to obtain is required to have a separate IP address. Otherwise, people using older devices and web browsers will not be able to use your website.

When you request an SSL certificate for a domain, the Certificate Authority(CA) will need to verify that you own the domain name and it will check the domain’s WHOIS record.You have to check your WHOIS record. If the information you find is obsolete, make sure to update it!

If you are requesting a high-assurance certificate, the Certificate Authority may check the government’s databases to validate your business. In addition, the CA may also ask you to provide the government registration documents concerned with your business.

2. Generate the Certificate Signing Request (CSR)

Before you find a Certificate Authority, you are recommended to generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR). This is a text generated on your server and includes information about your business and domain. You can generate a CSR through your server, cPanel or an online CSR generator.

3. Submit CSR to the Certificate Authority to validate your domain

After buying an SSL certificate, you must submit the same. You must be sure to have it on hand when you’re completing the sign-up process for your SSL certificate.

4. Install the certificate on your website

Once the CA has processed your Certificate Signing Request, it will send you an email allowing you to access your SSL certificate. Alternatively, you can download it from the user account that you had created at the time of purchasing the certificate.

The process of installing an SSL certificate depends on the operating system of the website server on which your website is hosted. Contact your web hosting company for more info about this and check if it has provided any instructions on how to install your SSL certificate.

5. Test and maintain your SSL certificate

Great !! so you now have your SSL certificate installed but it isn’t over. Best practice dictates that website owners should test their SSL certificate and create scheduled maintenance. This helps you to ensure that your certificate doesn’t go wrong or run out without you knowing. The first step is to test your SSL. This can be done using SSL verification tools. These tools will provide you with essential information such as whether all the pages on your site are loading securely.

Next, you should plan a scheduled and regular monitoring of your SSL certificate expiry and renewal dates. Typically an SSL will last 13 months or 397 days, but you need to check the specific details of your certificate to ensure you do not miss the expiry. It is best practice to renew your SSL certificate and update its installation on your site or server before it lasts. This can save a lot of hassle and ensure that there is no period where your site does not have an SSL.

Bonus!

If you want an SSL certificate quickly, all you have to do is visit Lease Packet. Our experts will install a SSL certificate on your website so that your data remains secure. We also offer 24x7 support to all our customers.

Conclusion

Every user expects a secure and safe browsing experience, no matter the website’s size. An SSL certificate ensures that sensitive and important data exchanged between the web server and the browser is safe, increasing the website’s trustworthiness.

In addition to providing an extra layer of protection against malware intent, SSL is also useful for strengthening the website’s SEO performance. Secure websites always have a greater opportunity to rank better on search engine results.

However, an SSL certificate is only the first line of defence in preventing attackers from interrupting sensitive data with additional security measures.