Beginning Guide to Install SSL

Who needs an SSL certificate?

If you will accept or secure information processing from your website, such as credit card payments online, or other confidential information, you will need an SSL certificate. SSL means Secure Socket Layer. Data shared between users' computers and server are encrypted for security.

There are different kinds of SSL certificates. The price varies very little money, hundreds of dollars per year. Most of your sensitive information, most probably have to spend on an SSL certificate.

Important: Most applications can obtain licenses at a cost less than $ 100 per year. If you accept credit card payments directly from the server, you should contact your bank or credit card payment gateway, to determine their needs. Some are very strict.

Server Requirements

Your server must have the capacity for secure connections. Probably nothing to fear, because most do.

Dedicated IP Address

You will need a special (unique) IP address. If you're on shared hosting plan, you should ask your hosting company for a dedicated IP address. SSL certificates can not be installed on a shared IP address unless the certificate is shared. This is not a common scenario at all.
Some hosting companies to move to a dedicated IP address for free. Other charges a fee (usually) small a month for a dedicated IP address.

What you need to buy the certificate

Have to generate a signing request (CSR). If you have never had an SSL certificate on your site, you may have to generate a "key" first. Both are made from the control panel of your server.

Purchase and installation of SSL certificates

   1. Log in to your server.
   2. Generate the key if there is one already. For the purposes of SEO, you want to be consistent. The industry standard is to include the "www." with the domain name.
   3. Once the key is generated, it is necessary to generate the CSR. Be sure to select the correct key if you have more than one option (the one with the "www." The most likely). Enter the information that the server application (country, city, state, etc) and the server display a page with CSR, new on it, or by email to the CSR for you. Keep this page up, or copy and paste the CSR into a text document such as Notepad (word processing like Microsoft Word can spoil) A are considered as CSR: ----- BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST --- - *** There will be several lines of random looking characters here. *** ----- END CERTIFICATE REQUEST ----- Be sure to include the scripts before and after application "in early certificate" and "Certificate Request" at the end of the copy of the CSR
   4. When you buy an SSL certificate, there will be a way to configure the certificate. They are slightly different, but the instructions should be available from the manufacturer. You have to paste the CSR in a field, and contact information in the highest number in three places. You must enter the certificate holder, name, address, email, etc. For most suppliers, even for the technical contact and billing contact. (All can be the same person)
   5. Once you submit the CSR and contact information, you must select an email address for approval. The certificate of authority shall submit an email to the address you choose to approve the transaction. The email address for the signatory must be authorized for the domain or server. An email that is acceptable is common admin@mydomain.tld (where "mydomain.tld" is the actual domain that the certificate is installed.) There are many others such as "webmaster" or "ssladmin" that work, so You may need to check.
   6. Once the agent approves the certificate, the applicant will receive an email containing the certificate (and possibly a 'CA package). The certificate will be very similar to CSR, but it will be bigger. Be sure to include all the characters of "Begin Certificate" through (including) the certificate after the dashes. The certificate will look like: ----- BEGIN CERTIFICATE ----- *** There will be several lines of random looking characters here. *** ----- END CERTIFICATE -----
   7. There are generally two ways to install the certificate. Some servers ask you to paste the certificate (and CA beams where appropriate) in a field on the server. Some will allow you to download the certificate from a text file or e-mail on your computer. The server certificate installed.

If you did everything correctly, you must install without problems. If you receive errors or warnings, you must contact the server administrator for assistance.