Thursday, September 8, 2022

SSL/TLS Certificate

 

What is an SSL Certificate?

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and, in short, it's the standard technology for keeping an internet connection secure and safeguarding any sensitive data that is being sent between two systems, preventing criminals from reading and modifying any information transferred, including potential personal details. The two systems can be a server and a client (for example, a shopping website and browser) or server to server (for example, an application with personal identifiable information or with payroll information). It does this by making sure that any data transferred between users and sites, or between two systems remain impossible to read. It uses encryption algorithms to scramble data in transit, preventing hackers from reading it as it is sent over the connection. This information could be anything sensitive or personal which can include credit card numbers and other financial information, names and addresses.

What is TLS?

Transport Layer Security is a protocol that establishes an encrypted session between two computers on the Internet. It verifies the identity of the server and prevents hackers from intercepting any data.

 

TLS (and its predecessor SSL) allows users to securely transmit sensitive data when using the HTTPS protocol. In other words, HTTPS is HTTP layered on top of TLS. This technology is ideal for applications such as banking, information authentication, email exchange, and any other procedure requiring a higher level of privacy and security. TLS helps provide an enhanced layer of protection by encrypting the otherwise readable data, making it difficult for hackers to obtain private information.

TLS (Transport Layer Security) is just an updated, more secure, version of SSL. We still refer to our security certificates as SSL because it is a more commonly used term, but when you are buying SSL from DigiCert you are actually buying the most up to date TLS certificates with the option of ECC, RSA or DSA encryption.

 

 

SSL

TLS

SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer.

TLS stands for Transport Layer Security.

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) supports the Fortezza algorithm.

TLS (Transport Layer Security) does not support the Fortezza algorithm.

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is the 3.0 version.

TLS (Transport Layer Security) is the 1.0 version.

In SSL( Secure Socket Layer), the Message digest is used to create a master secret.

In TLS(Transport Layer Security), a Pseudo-random function is used to create a master secret.

In SSL( Secure Socket Layer), the Message Authentication Code protocol is used.

In TLS(Transport Layer Security), Hashed Message Authentication Code protocol is used.

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is more complex than TLS(Transport Layer Security).

TLS (Transport Layer Security) is simple.

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is less secured as compared to TLS(Transport Layer Security).

TLS (Transport Layer Security) provides high security.

SSL is less reliable and slower.

TLS is highly reliable and upgraded. It provides less latency.

SSL has been depreciated.

TLS is still widely used.

SSL uses port to set up explicit connection.

TLS uses protocol to set up implicit connection.

It was developed by Netscape

It was developed internet Engineering

Taskforce (IETF)

SSL was first released in 1995(SSL 2.0)

The first version (TLS 1.0) was released in 1999

 

The server that is configured with TLS protocols uses TLS certificates of the respective version. For example, if the server is configured with TLS v1.0, then it uses the respective TLS v1.0 certificate

 

 

It is faster than TLS as authentications are not carried out intensively.


It is little slower due to the two-step communication process i.e. handshaking and actual data transfer.

It is little slower due to the two-step communication process i.e. handshaking and actual data transfer.


 

It is simpler than the TLS as it lacks few features that are present in the TLS.

 

 

It is complex as it requires certificate validations and good authentications.


It does not support TLS.

It is backward compatible and supports SSL

         

An overview of the SSL or TLS handshake.

 

The SSL or TLS handshake enables the SSL or TLS client and server to establish the secret keys with which they communicate.

 

This section provides a summary of the steps that enable the SSL or TLS client and server to communicate with each other.

 

Agree on the version of the protocol to use.

Select cryptographic algorithms.

Authenticate each other by exchanging and validating digital certificates.

Use asymmetric encryption techniques to generate a shared secret key, which avoids the key distribution problem. SSL or TLS then uses the shared key for the symmetric encryption of messages, which is faster than asymmetric encryption.

For more information about cryptographic algorithms and digital certificates, refer to the related information.

 

In overview, the steps involved in the SSL handshake are as follows:

 

1.     The SSL or TLS client sends a client hello message that lists cryptographic information such as the SSL or TLS version and, in the client's order of preference, the CipherSuites supported by the client. The message also contains a random byte string that is used in subsequent computations. The protocol allows for the client hello to include the data compression methods supported by the client.                                                                                             

2.     The SSL or TLS server responds with a server hello message that contains the CipherSuite chosen by the server from the list provided by the client, the session ID, and another random byte string. The server also sends its digital certificate. If the server requires a digital certificate for client authentication, the server sends a client certificate request that includes a list of the types of certificates supported and the Distinguished Names of acceptable Certification Authorities (CAs).                                                                                  

3.     The SSL or TLS client verifies the server's digital certificate.                                           

4.     The SSL or TLS client sends the random byte string that enables both the client and the server to compute the secret key to be used for encrypting subsequent message data. The random byte string itself is encrypted with the server's public key.                                                                                                      

5.     If the SSL or TLS server sent a client certificate request, the client sends a random byte string encrypted with the client's private key, together with the client's digital certificate, or a no digital certificate alert. This alert is only a warning, but with some implementations the handshake fails if client authentication is mandatory.

6.     The SSL or TLS server verifies the client's certificate.                                           

7.     The SSL or TLS client sends the server a finished message, which is encrypted with the secret key, indicating that the client part of the handshake is complete.                                                                                                                       

8.     The SSL or TLS server sends the client a finished message, which is encrypted with the secret key, indicating that the server part of the handshake is complete.                                                                                                            

9.     For the duration of the SSL or TLS session, the server and client can now exchange messages that are symmetrically encrypted with the shared secret key.

How Do SSL/TLS Certificates Work?

SSL/TLS certificates work by digitally tying a cryptographic key to a company’s identifying information. This allows them to encrypt data transfers in such a way that they can’t be unscrambled by third parties.

 

SSL/TLS works by having both a private and a public key, as well as session keys for every unique secure session. When a visitor enters an SSL-secured address into their web browser or navigates through to a secure page, the browser and the web server make a connection.

 

During the initial connection, the public and private keys will be used to create a session key, which will then be used to encrypt and decrypt the data that’s being transferred. This session key will remain valid for a limited time and only be used for that particular session.

 

You can tell whether a website is using SSL by looking for a padlock icon or a green bar at the top of your browser. You should be able to click on this icon to view the information on who holds the certificate and to manage your SSL settings.

 

When and Why is SSL/TLS is a MUST?

 

SSL/TLS is a must whenever sensitive information such as usernames and passwords or payment processing information is being transferred.

 

The goal of SSL/TLS is to make sure that only one person — the person or organization that the uploader intends — can access the data that’s being transferred. This is particularly important when you think of how many devices and servers the information is transferred between before it reaches its destination.

 

There are three main use cases that make SSL/TLS a must-have for your website:

 

When you need authentication: Any server can pretend to be your server, hijacking the information that people transmit along the way. SSL/TLS allows you to prove the identity of your server so that people know that you are who you say you are.

To instill trust: If you’re running an e-commerce site or asking users for the kind of data that’s important to them, you need to engender a sense of trust. Using an SSL/TLS certificate is a visible way of showing visitors that they can trust you and it’s much more effective than anything you could say about yourself.

When you need to comply with industry standards: In some industries such as the finance industry, you’ll be required to maintain certain base levels of security. There are also Payment Card Industry (PCI) guidelines that you need to adhere to if you want to accept credit card information on your website. And one of those requirements is the use of an SSL/TLS certificate.

Remember that SSL can be used across almost any device, which also makes it a versatile security choice in today’s multi-device age. The advantages of using SSL certificates outweigh the time and monetary investment it requires to set them up, so what have you got to lose?

 

Does SSL/TLS Make an Impact on SEO?

The short answer is: yes it does.

 

Google made changes to its algorithm as far back as 2014 to prioritize websites that used an SSL certificate, and they’ve continued to place emphasis on SSL certificates ever since. They’ve officially stated that sites with SSL statistics will outrank those without if all other factors are equal, and while secure sites make up only 1% of results, 40% of searches return at least one SSL-secured site on the first page. In practical terms, SSL makes a small difference when it comes to SEO and simply installing an SSL certificate to your site will make much less of a difference than creating regular fresh content and building a strong inbound link profile. That doesn’t mean that you should forget all about them. It’s also important to remember that search engines use a whole variety of different metrics to determine where websites rank. One of those metrics is how often people bounce back from your site to the results page, and having an SSL certificate could make the difference between someone buying from you or clicking away. Lots of other metrics that are used to rank sites can be affected when you choose whether or not to use an SSL certificate.

 

Setting up an SSL certificate will have an effect on your website’s search engine performance, but that’s not why you should use one. Instead, set up an SSL certificate to engender trust amongst your visitors and take the SEO boost as a bonus.

 

How Does SSL/TLS Relate to HTTPS?

 

When you set up an SSL certificate, you configure it to transmit data using HTTPS. The two technologies go hand in hand and you can’t use one without the other.

 

URLs are preceded with either HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) or HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure). This is effectively what determines how any data that you send and receive is transmitted. This means that another way to identify whether a site uses an SSL certificate is to look at the URL and to see whether it contains HTTP or HTTPS. That’s because HTTPS connections require an SSL certificate to work.

 

Chrome Indicates if a Website Uses SSL/TLS

 

Most of the major browsers including Google Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft’s Edge will prominently display when users are accessing a site through a secure connection. In Chrome, for example, you’ll see a green padlock icon in the address bar alongside a message saying “secure”. Users can view more details about the SSL certificate by clicking on it.

 

Furthermore, since the introduction of Chrome 68 in July 2018, websites without an SSL/TLS certificate display a “not secure” warning

 

Because browsers are going out of their way to actively display whether sites are secure, it’s in your best interests as a website owner to take the hint and to secure your site. That way, visitors can instantly see that your site is reliable as soon as they visit it.

How to Add SSL/TLS to Your Website?

 

Adding an SSL/TLS certificate to your website can get confusing and should only be attempted by a web professional. You’ll know whether you fit the bill or not.

 

The first step is to enable SSH access before installing ACME client. At this point, you can generate your SSL/TLS certificate and install it via your web host’s admin area. We’ve written a full tutorial on how to do install SSL certificate on hPanel that should help out if you’re ready to get started.

 

If you’re looking for a SSL/TLS certificate provider then look no further than Hostinger. We offer a lifetime of SSL/TLS security for free with our hosting plans.

 

Once your certificate is ready, you can force HTTPS by pasting a code snippet to your .htaccess file

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