Website security is now of utmost importance more than ever. The same can be said for an SSL cert, whether a paid or free SSL certificate. Perhaps you ask why. As cyber threats continually increase, ensuring your website is secure has become a top priority for businesses and individuals. One crucial aspect of website security is the SSL certificate.
We understand you may be in urgent need of a guide on how to improve your website’s security and protect the contact information or personal data of your customers. Hence, we will help you with everything you need to know about SSL certificates, including how they work, how to check them, and tips for improving website security.
Whether you are a website owner, developer, or someone interested in website security, this article will provide valuable insights and practical advice to help you secure your website. Let’s dive in.
How an SSL Certificate Works
SSL certificates encrypt the data transmitted between a website and its users. The SSL/TLS (Transport Layer Security) handshake process is the foundation of the SSL certificate. The process involves the browser requesting the server to initiate a secure connection. Moreover, the TLS handshake involves several steps, including encryption negotiation and key exchange, to ensure secure communication between the parties involved.
For instance, when users visit your website, their browser initiates a TLS handshake with your web server. Your server then responds by sending its SSL certificate to the browser, verifying its authenticity. Once the certificate is validated, your browser and server establish a secure connection and encrypt the data transmitted between them.
Domain Validated (DV) certificates are the most basic level of validation or type of SSL certificate. However, they only verify the domain’s ownership. Organization Validated (OV) and Extended Validation (EV) certificates require additional validation steps, such as verifying the organization’s identity and legal status.
Further, there are Wildcard and Multi-domain SSL certificates. A typical Wildcard certificate secures all subdomains of a particular domain. On the other hand, a Multi-Domain certificate can secure multiple domains with a single certificate.
Which of these SSL certificates is suitable for or applicable to you? Understanding the different SSL certificate types is necessary to help you choose the right one for your website’s needs.
How to Check SSL Certificates
Checking your website’s SSL certificate is essential to ensure your website’s security. So, how do you check your SSL certificates? There are several ways to check SSL certificates to ensure website security.
One method is to use the browser’s security indicators. The browser will display a padlock icon in the address bar to indicate that your website is secured with SSL. When you click on the padlock, you can view your certificate details and verify the certificate’s authenticity.
Another method is to use online SSL certificate validation tools. These tools can provide additional information about your certificate, such as its expiration date and the issuer. They can also alert you if your certificate is invalid or if your website’s domain does not match the certificate.
In addition, you can also use command-line tools to check SSL certificates. For instance, you can use OpenSSL, a widely used tool to check a website’s SSL certificate details, including the expiration date, issuer, and certificate chain.
To check a website’s SSL certificate using OpenSSL, you can run the following command in your terminal, replacing “example.com” with the website you want to check. This command will show you detailed information about your SSL certificate, including its expiration date and issuer.
openssl s_client -connect example.com:443
It is also crucial to check your SSL certificate expiration date regularly. SSL certificates typically expire after one or two years, depending on the certificate type and issuer. If your SSL certificate has expired, your website will display a warning message, and users will see a warning message. But it’s possible to skip it and connect to a website.
Tips for Improving Website Security
While SSL certificates play a critical role in website security, they are only a part of a comprehensive security strategy. Here are some additional tested and trusted tips to improve your website’s security:
Develop secure coding practices
Developing secure coding practices is essential to improve your website’s security. It involves following industry best practices, such as avoiding known vulnerabilities, using secure coding techniques, and conducting code reviews to identify and fix security issues. As a result, using secure coding practices will help prevent common web attacks, such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection, that can compromise your website’s security.
Implement secure data storage practices
Implementing secure data storage practices is also necessary for website security. Sensitive data, such as user login credentials and payment and contact information, should be encrypted using industry-standard encryption algorithms such as AES or RSA. Additionally, ensure you store the data in secure databases protected from unauthorized access, such as using firewalls and access controls.
Use a web application firewall (WAF)
Using a web application firewall (WAF) is another effective way to improve your website’s security. A WAF can protect your website from common web attacks by monitoring and filtering incoming traffic to your website. It can block known malicious IP addresses, prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, and block SQL injection attempts.
Perform regular security audits and updates
Performing regular security audits and updates is also crucial to maintain website security. Regularly auditing your website’s security involves testing your website for known vulnerabilities and identifying any security issues you should address. Updating any software or plugins to their latest versions can also help prevent being exploited by attackers.
Conclusion
SSL certificates are essential to website security, and it is crucial to check them regularly to ensure your website is secure. However, improving website security involves more than just using SSL certificates. Nevertheless, you can significantly improve your website’s security by following and implementing secure coding and data storage practices, using a web application firewall, and performing regular security audits and updates.
Further, you will protect your website from potential threats and protect your users’ sensitive personal data. Finally, do remember that securing your website is an ongoing process and essential to stay up-to-date on the latest security practices and threats. Thus, you will build trust with your users and protect your online presence by taking the necessary steps to secure your website.
