SSL certificates are a critical component of website security. The era when solely e-commerce platforms and financial institutions used them is now a thing of the past. Nowadays, every website necessitates a digital certificate.
Effective management of SSL certificates guarantees optimal data encryption and seamless website accessibility. This measure safeguards users’ sensitive information from unauthorised access and bolsters the site’s credibility as a dependable and trustworthy platform. You might be interested in our email hosting. Below we discuss the best SSL Certificate practices.
3 Best Practices for SSL Certificates
Choose a Trustworthy Certificate Authority (CA)
Not all SSL certificates are created equal—only a few select Certificate Authorities (CAs) are trusted by 99% of browsers. A reliable CA adheres to strict standards and undergoes regular audits to ensure compliance. Most web browsers come pre-installed with the public keys of major CAs, making it easy to distinguish trustworthy providers from fake ones. Popular CAs like Sectigo, GeoTrust, Thawte, RapidSSL, and DigiCert offer a variety of SSL products, including Extended Validation, Wildcard, and Multi-Domain certificates, with strong reputations in data encryption and customer trust.
Certificate Signing Request (CSR)
After selecting your SSL brand and product, the next step is to generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) and your private key. The CSR contains important information about your website and company, which the Certificate Authority (CA) uses to create a public key that corresponds with your private key.
It’s best to generate the CSR on the server where the SSL certificate will be installed. If needed, you can also use a CSR Generator tool to create both the CSR and private key automatically. Be sure to back up your private key and keep it secure. If the CSR is generated on your server, the private key will remain there. However, if you use a different program to create it, you’ll need to import the private key manually. Always generate it on a secure, trusted system.
For optimal security, use a 2048-bit RSA or 256-bit ECDSA key. Never allow third parties to generate your private key, and if compromised, reissue the certificate immediately.
Upload and Set Up the SSL Certificates on Your Server
The ideal time to install your SSL certificate is during the development stage, at least a week before your website goes live. This allows ample time to resolve any potential errors.
Once your Certificate Authority (CA) approves the request, they will send your SSL files in a ZIP archive. Download and extract the folder, which typically includes the server and intermediate certificates. Ensure your server supports the SSL format, and convert the files if necessary.
Upload the certificate files as directed by your server. Pay special attention to the intermediate certificate, which ensures a full chain of trust for browsers, including older versions. Without it, visitors may receive security warnings.
Use the latest SSL/TLS protocols, such as TLS 1.2 or TLS 1.3, to maintain security. Avoid weak or outdated cipher suites, and enable Forward Secrecy to protect past sessions. Additionally, activate TLS Session Resumption to improve performance by reusing recent SSL/TLS sessions.
Installing an SSL certificate is just the first step. To ensure a complete HTTPS transition, address mixed content errors by scanning your site for unsecured HTTP elements and migrating them to HTTPS. Secure your cookies to protect sensitive data, and be cautious with third-party apps and plugins, avoiding outdated or suspicious options. Finally, run diagnostic scans to identify any SSL-related vulnerabilities.
