How to Get a Security Certificate for Your Website

Many security measures for your website lead to the best and safest practices for individuals and organizations. We live in a time when cyber crimes are rapidly increasing and developing with every passing day, and assuming various forms.

It is no longer only the responsibility of large corporations to maximize their security measures, as cybercriminals have shown they are prepared to attack any potential victim with sensitive information. This means anyone with valuable data or intellectual property stored online could be vulnerable to attacks.

One security measure that can be taken is the use of a security certificate for your website. Security is a valuable asset that will help in the growth of your web project. Security certificates may be an attractive feature for your customers, clients, and partners. SSL certificates can also secure payments, reduce cyber risks, and increase your search engine ranking.

Another way that you can generate interest in your web project is by optimizing your content to meet the demands of search engines. Check this guide to SEO for the best way to approach search engine optimization.

What Are Security Certificates?

Some websites are made more secure with an extension to the Hypertext Transfer Protocol, whereby the HTTP protocol becomes HTTPS. The extra S stands for secure, and it means that the data exchanged on these websites is encrypted.

To obtain an HTTPS connection, you need a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or a Transport Layer Security (TLS) certificate. These certificates enable a secure connection through an encryption process.

SSL and TLS certificates use cryptographic key pairs to connect the identities of websites and companies through digital documents called X.509 certificates. For each key pair, there is a private key that is kept secure and a public key that is widely distributed.

The public key can be used to encrypt messages that require the private key for decryption. The person that holds the private key can use it to sign digital documents, including web pages, which can be verified by anyone with the public key. 

The standard encryption of these certificates uses 256-bit strength and 2048-bit RSA key. SSL and TLS certificates are compatible with almost every major browser and device. It is usually possible to obtain an unlimited server license, which means you can install it on multiple servers.

SSL and TLS certificates need to be signed by certificate authorities (CAs) that are widely recognized and trusted. CAs need to be accepted by client software, which includes operating systems and web browsers, and they must be subject to frequent and thorough audits. Popular CAs include Symantec, DigiCert, RapidSSLonline, and SSL.com.

How to Obtain a Security Certificate for Your Website

It is relatively easy to obtain an SSL certificate for a web project, and there are certain steps that need to be followed.

Decide the Type of Certificate You Intend to Use

It is more common now to use TLS certificates, the upgraded version of SSL certificates. However, as more people are familiar with the term ‘SSL,’ it is often used to refer to those which are technically TLS certificates.

There are three categories that SSL certificates are divided into based on the validation process.

• Domain Validated (DV): This is a low form of verification that only proves you own the domain for the website for which you need a security certificate. These certificates are more affordable and only take a few minutes to be issued.

• Organization Validated (OV): For this type of verification, you also need to prove details of your organization and a local presence, verified by a phone call. OV is more expensive, and it can take up to three days to be issued.

• Extended Validated (EV): This validation requires DV and OV validations to have been completed. It is a more rigorous process that requires companies to have been in operation for a minimum of three years, and it is not available to individual users.

Obtain a Certificate Signing Request (CSR)

It is an application holding the details of the domain to be certified. After completing the CSR, your certification authority (CA) will send you a confirmation email. Provided that your request is legitimate, it will be validated, and your CA will issue your SSL certificate.

Install Your Digital Certificate on Your Server

This is usually a straightforward process. You can obtain a step-by-step guide from the relevant server. You can use an SSL checker tool to ensure the certificate has been correctly installed on the server.

Buying an SSL certificate is a wise security measure to take for any organization that is running a website. You can obtain one quite easily and quickly. It is always a good decision to improve your cyber defenses and reputation with a recognized security certificate.