How to get an HTTPS certificate

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For my application, I need to set up HTTPS and obtain a valid SSL certificate. What are the steps to acquire an HTTPS certificate, and are there specific providers or tools I should consider? Is there a difference between free and paid certificates?

Any step-by-step guidance on obtaining and configuring HTTPS certificates would be useful.
Nov 15 in Cyber Security & Ethical Hacking by Anupam
• 5,550 points
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1 answer to this question.

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Securing communication between your application and its users requires obtaining an HTTPS certificate, also known as an SSL/TLS certificate, which is a simple process.

Steps to Get an HTTPS Certificate

1. Choose a Certificate Authority (CA):

  • Free CAs: Consider providers like Let's Encrypt, which offer free, automated SSL certificates.
  • Paid CAs: Providers like DigiCert, GoDaddy, or Comodo offer additional features such as extended validation (EV) or wildcard certificates.

2. Generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR):

  • A CSR contains information about your domain and organization and is required by the CA to issue a certificate.
  • You can generate a CSR using tools like OpenSSL, Certbot, or web hosting control panels (e.g., cPanel).
Example (using SSL)
openssl req -new -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes -keyout yourdomain.key -out yourdomain.csr

This creates two files:

  • yourdomain.key (private key, keep this secure!)
  • yourdomain.csr (CSR to send to the CA)

3. Submit the CSR to the CA:

  • For Let's Encrypt: Use an automated client like Certbot to submit the CSR and obtain the certificate.
  • For paid CAs: Log in to their portal, upload the CSR, and complete the required domain validation process.

4. Validate Domain Ownership:

Most CAs require proof that you control the domain. Methods include:

  • Adding a specific DNS record.
  • Uploading a file to your web server.
  • Approving a confirmation email sent to the domain's admin email.

5. Download and Install the Certificate:

  • Once validated, the CA will issue the SSL certificate.
  • Download the certificate files and install them on your web server.
6. Configure Your Web Server for HTTPS:
Using Apache:
<VirtualHost *:443>
  ServerName yourdomain.com
  SSLEngine on
  SSLCertificateFile /path/to/certificate.crt
  SSLCertificateKeyFile /path/to/private.key
  SSLCertificateChainFile /path/to/ca_bundle.crt
</VirtualHost>

Using Nginx:

server {
  listen 443 ssl;
  server_name yourdomain.com;
  ssl_certificate /path/to/certificate.crt;
  ssl_certificate_key /path/to/private.key;
}

7. Test Your Configuration:

Restart your web server and test the HTTPS connection:

systemctl restart apache2  # For Apache
systemctl restart nginx    # For Nginx

Use tools like SSL Labs to verify the certificate installation and configuration.

Free vs. Paid Certificates

Feature Free Certificates (e.g., Let's Encrypt) Paid Certificates (e.g., DigiCert)
Cost Free Paid
Validation Levels
Domain Validation (DV) only
DV, Organization Validation (OV), Extended Validation (EV)
Validity Period 90 days (auto-renewable) 1 - 3 Years
Support Community-Based Dedicates Customer Support
Wildcard Support Limited Available

Tools for Automating HTTPS Certificate Management

1. Certbot (Recommended for Let's Encrypt):

Automates the CSR, validation, and installation process.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx
sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com

Automatically renews certificates with:
sudo certbot renew --dry-run
2. Acme.sh:

A lightweight client for Let's Encrypt and other ACME CAs.

acme.sh --issue --webroot -w /var/www/html -d yourdomain.com

3. Web Hosting Panels:

Platforms like cPanel or Plesk have built-in options to request and install certificates.

answered Nov 15 by CaLLmeDaDDY
• 8,390 points

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