SSL certificates are the world’s most trusted documents. They are a legally binding contract that provides peace of mind by ensuring a site’s privacy and integrity. Certificate Authorities (CAs), which are regarded as reliable in confirming the legality of any company requesting a certificate, are the entities that issue SSL and wildcard certificates.
CAs are reliable entities that verify the legitimacy of SSL certificates and therefore they can confirm whether you can use their services. CAs are companies that issue SSL certificates.
These certificates go to verification agencies that issue and maintain SSL certificates. These agencies maintain globally accepted standards to confirm the legitimacy of any requested SSL certificate.
If a website is presenting its content to the public, it must be secured using an SSL certificate. When you need an SSL certificate, ask your provider to verify that the company you are considering is authorized by an independent Certificate Authority (CA). This extra step could help protect your business from rogue or fraudulent CAs that might issue certificates for accounts that don’t meet current industry standards.
What is the difference between SSL and TLS?
As you may know, SSL and TLS are two different encryption schemes that are commonly used in web browsers and on web servers. They are also two separate protocols that use the same standards and parameters; however, they have different functions as an encryption solution.
SSL is short for Secure Socket Layer, while TLS is short for Transport Layer Security. Both are cryptographic protocols used to secure communications; however, they differ in how they accomplish this mission. SSL was designed to let web servers establish a secure connection with browsers and other clients. In other words, if a user wants to connect to your website via HTTPS, he or she will need an SSL certificate from a certificate authority (CA).
The primary difference between SSL and TLS is that SSL was written as a secure replacement for the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). It uses a handshake protocol to authenticate and encrypt traffic (SSL/TLS), and relies on only the server providing a valid certificate. While both SSL and TLS can be used to secure transactions, TLS is generally considered to have replaced SSL now that it offers stronger encryption than older protocols.
TLS provides a message confidentiality service, and SSL provides the same service for data integrity. Together both provide secure end-to-end connectivity. SSL/TLS is an encryption protocol designed to protect data in transit through its use of public/private key pairs and digital certificates.
How do I enable SSL?
The first thing to do is locate the Directory Security (https) tab. From here, you can edit the security settings for your website. Select the Need Secure Channel option in the Hosted Directory Editor, then ensure that SSL is enabled by checking the box next to it.
