Create & sign SSL/TLS certificates with OpenSSL
In this video, we will learn how to generate an SSL/TLS certificate signing request (CSR) and have it signed by a Certificate Authority (CA). We won’t submit the CSR to a real CA for this tutorial. Instead, we will play both the certificate authority and the certificate applicant. We will use OpenSSL to do the following things:
I strongly recommend you watch this video first to get a deep understanding of SSL/TLS: https://youtu.be/-f4Gbk-U758
- Generate a private key and self-signed certificate of the Certificate Authority (CA).
- Generate a private key and certificate signing request (CSR) for our web server.
- Use the CA’s private key to sign our web server’s CSR and get back the signed certificate.
- Verify if a certificate is valid or not.
You can also read this in text format on DEV: https://dev.to/techschoolguru/how-to-…
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What Are SSL/TLS Certificates?
SSL/TLS certificates are digital certificates that verify the identity of a website and encrypt the data transmitted between the website and the user’s browser. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, and TLS stands for Transport Layer Security.
SSL/TLS certificates are essential for protecting the privacy and security of your website visitors. When users visit a secured website with SSL/TLS, their browser will establish a secure connection with its server. This secure connection ensures that the data transmitted between the user’s browser and the website’s server is encrypted and cannot be intercepted by third parties.
SSL/TLS certificates also help to verify the identity of a website. When a user’s browser sees an SSL/TLS certificate, it will check the certificate’s authenticity against a list of trusted certificate authorities. If the certificate is valid, the user’s browser will display a padlock icon in the address bar, indicating that the website is secure.
There are two main types of SSL/TLS certificates:
- Domain-validated (DV) certificates: These certificates verify the domain name of a website. DV certificates are the most basic type of SSL/TLS certificate and are the least expensive.
- Extended Validation (EV) certificates: These certificates verify the organization’s identity that owns a website. EV certificates are more expensive than DV certificates, but they provide a higher level of security.
If you are running a website that collects sensitive information from users, such as credit card numbers or passwords, you should use an SSL/TLS certificate to protect the privacy of your users. SSL/TLS certificates are also suitable for any website that wants to improve its security and trustworthiness.
Here are some of the benefits of using SSL/TLS certificates:
- Protects the privacy of your website visitors: SSL/TLS certificates encrypt the data transmitted between your website and visitors’ browsers. This ensures that third parties cannot intercept the data.
- Verifies your website’s identity: SSL/TLS certificates verify your website’s identity to your visitors’ browsers. This helps to build trust with your visitors and can help to increase your website’s conversion rate.
- Improves your website’s SEO: Google and other search engines prefer websites that use SSL/TLS certificates. Your website may rank higher in search results if you use an SSL/TLS certificate.
If you are not using an SSL/TLS certificate, I recommend doing so as soon as possible. SSL/TLS certificates are an essential part of any website that wants to protect the privacy and security of its visitors.