SSL certificate AlphaSSL Wildcard for the site

Each of us, when visiting a particular site, wants to be sure that his data is not in danger, that neither this resource nor anyone else can use it without our consent. To let users know that the site is reliable and will not steal information, there are special tools, which include SSL certificates.

SSL certificate – what is it, what is it for

SSL certificates are digital documents that confirm that a website is genuine. They also make it possible to use encryption when transferring data from the user to the server. The meaning of the abbreviation SSL is Secure Sockets Layer, secure socket layer. 

In other words, it is a security protocol that provides an encrypted connection between the browser and the web server. Adding an SSL certificate guarantees the security of transactions and allows you to maintain the confidentiality and integrity of data, since at the time of transmission they are encrypted using one-time keys, so any organization should use this technology. 

This is especially true for companies that use users’ personal data, this includes not only information from official documents, confidential information, payment instrument data, but also logins and passwords. That is, almost every website must have an SSL security certificate.

In order to better understand how this tool works, let’s imagine how an online purchase occurs. To pay for it, the client must enter his credit card number on the website, after which the browser sends the number and other buyer data to the server. If they are transmitted in an unprotected form, attackers can almost easily intercept them and use them in any way they wish. When information is encrypted, it becomes an unreadable set of characters, and without the keys it is almost impossible to read it.

Network connections become secure if SSL is installed, information transferred from system to system is not in danger – they cannot be stolen or modified by third parties. It’s quite easy to find out whether a site is protected via SSL – in this case, in addition to the resource address itself, a padlock symbol appears in the address bar.

The SSL security protocol appeared in the late nineties, and even then you could choose one of its versions, but at that time none of them provided the required level of security. After the updated version appeared, the protocol was renamed to  TLS stands for Transport Layer Security, and it is this protection option that is currently relevant. But users and webmasters are accustomed to the old name, so it is often used for the new version.

SSL certificates – process and work algorithms

To protect data  SSL applies encryption algorithms, among them. for example, RSA, EIGamal, PKCS, DSA  etc.

The protocol works in the following sequence:

• the user wants to visit the site;

• The user's browser sends a request to the server about the authenticity of the resource;

• The server responds by sending a copy of the certificate if it exists;

• The browser system checks the transmitted information with what is in the databases of certificate issuing points, thereby verifying the authenticity of the document, and after this operation notifies the server about its result;

• The server then sends a confirmation to the browser, which has a unique digital signature encrypted using SSL, thus creating a secure connection session;

• Only after this is data transferred between the web browser and the web server.

From this description we can conclude that such a check continues for a long time – and this conclusion will be deeply erroneous – the process lasts a matter of milliseconds. In practice it looks like this:

• The browser checks how authentic and reliable the resource is;

• if a copy of the certificate was not received or its data did not match those available at the point of issue – a warning appears on the user's screen;

• in the case when the browser was able to verify that the resource is protected, the abbreviation HTTPS is displayed in the address bar – the meaning of the last letter in it — secured.

• If authenticity is not confirmed, the message HTTP will appear in the address bar, that is, by continuing the session the user risks his data, which will not be encrypted.

The user has the opportunity to familiarize himself with the SSL protocol data of the site he is about to visit - to do this, just click on the padlock symbol. The usual list of information that he will see after this consists of:

• domain name;

• name of the organization, full name of the person or output data of the device – that is, those objects for whom SSL was created;

• information about the certification authority that issued the document;

• digital signature;

• subdomain enumeration;

• issue dates;

• certificate validity period;

• public key data.

How to get an SSL certificate

To carry out SSL certification, there are special organizations - certification authorities; you can contact them to connect to the protocol. Over the course of a year, such companies are approached by a huge number of individuals and organizations who need to obtain an SSL AlphaSSL Wildcard. Their activities are an important factor in creating a safe and secure online experience.

The price of a certificate varies over a very wide range from several thousand to several tens of thousands of rubles – it all depends on what level of security the user needs. Therefore, he must first select the type of certificate, and only after that look for an organization that can provide him with the SSL protocol of the required level.

Obtaining an SSL certificate includes the following steps:

1. Preparation. Set up your server and make sure your WHOIS record is up to date and matches what you are sending to the CA (it should display the correct company name and address, etc.).

2. Create an SSL Certificate Signing Request (CSR) on your server. Your hosting company can help with this step.

3. Send a request to a certification authority to verify information about your domain and company.

4. Installation of the resulting certificate after the process is completed.

Once you have received the AlphaSSL Wildcard certificate, it must be configured on your web host or servers if you are hosting the website yourself.