Tuesday 16 December 2014
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cloudflare
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free ssl
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ssl
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startssl
Free SSL Certificates For Your Websites
A SSL/https enabled website really important because SSL certificates protects your website from hackers, spams, scams, increase trustability and worthiness and security of your website. Self-Signed SSL will provide a security warning to web browser and a normal standard SSL from your hosting provider will cost you few hundreds dollar with some days as issuing time so here I am going to explain how to get free SSL for unlimited domains and issued instantly which will work same like a standard SSL certificates.
What is SSL Certificates
SSL Certificates are micro files that digitally make bond to a key to an organization’s details. When ssl is installed on a server, it creates the https connection and allows secure connections from a web server to a browser. SSL certificates are normally indicated by the green bar in website browser and starting with https:// instead of normal http:// .
Why I need SSL Certificates
The first reason why SSL is needed is to keep personal information sent over Internet encrypted and protected so that only the destination server can decrypt and understand it. Any hacker in between you and the server can see your sensitive info such as credit card numbers, usernames and passwords if it is not encrypted with an SSL certificate but when this is used, the information becomes encrypted to everyone except for the server. That’s how SSL protects us from hackers and other scams.
How to get free SSL certificates:
Currently Startssl and cloudflare are giving unlimited free standard SSL while other providers are offering only trials and am going to discuss them later.
StartSSL Free SSL Certificates
StartSSL offers SSL certificares for 1 year so at first I will discuss how to get free SSL for 1 year and later I will discuss how to renew the ssl for free.
Sign up with StartSSL
First of all, sign up with startssl. This is not ordinary signup; in this sign up they will provide you a digital certificate which you have to save in your browser so I suggest you choose Google chrome and a PC.
After clicking continue, the page will forwarded to email address verification.
Sometime while sign up you may see over capacity problem just because they are receiving a lot of request just ignore and try again later, or account may be reviewed manually but it doesn't matter because it takes highest 1-6 hour.
Verify your Domain
At the time of sign in they will ask no username and password but the digital certificate they give you at the time of registration. Don’t worry as this was automatically saved in your browser and will give you access to your control panel.
Click the validation wizard and scroll down the menu to “Domain name validation” and enter domain address. Remember they will offer you 5 email address and within which they can send the authorization code. The 3 email will be Postmaster@yourdomain.com, hostmaster@yourdomain.com and webmaster@yourdomain.com and the other 2 will be the email address from WHOIS registry and if you don’t have the email account I suggest you better create one of these. Copy the authorization code and paste in verification box and your domain is verified.
Create CSR in your cPanel
To get a SSL certificate you must create a certificate signing request from your cPanel to do so go to your cPanel and click in SSL/TLS manager.
First create a private key by clicking “Generate, view, upload, or delete your private keys.” and better save it because without a private key ssl is useless.
Then generate your CSR by clicking “Generate, view, or delete SSL certificate signing requests.” Use the same private key and fill up the csr form. Click on generate and you will have your CSR.
Upload CSR and Get SSL certificates
Now go to StartSSL control panel and click on certificate wizard and set certificate target to “Web Server SSL/TLS Certificate”.
Proceeding you will see generate private keys field in next step and leave it blank write nothing and click “skip”.
Next step is to upload CSR you already generated in cPanel. Copy the whole CSR and click next.
Next step is for adding a sub domain; just add “www” in the blank field.
You should get immediate SSL certificate, copy the whole certificate and proceed to next level.
Note: Some time they mark the new certificate for additional review which requires extra 1-3 hours to verify your certificate. As soon as, they verify you will get a confirmation email from them and you can download it from tools box> retrieve your certificates menu in their control panel.
Save and Install SSL certificates
You must install the certificate in your cPanel to do so go to your cPanel and click in SSL/TLS manager and click on “Generate, view, upload, or delete SSL certificates.” Then paste the whole certificates in the box and save it. Now return to SSL/TLS manager and click on “Manage SSL sites.” Ok now select the certificate and select the corresponding domain and auto fill all the blanks then activate ssl in your website.
How to Renew SSL Certificate
To upgrade the free SSL certificate, repeat the same process just add a different subdomain instead of www( the yellow background text). Don’t worry the new certificate cover your root (ex yourdomain.com) but doesn’t cover www.yourdomain.com so in that case you have to add the following code to your .htaccess file.
.htaccess Code
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{SERVER_PORT} 80
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://domain.com/$1 [R=301,L]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.domain\.com [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*) http://domain.com/$1 [L,R=301]
This will set all the traffic to https://yourdomain.com
Cloudflare Free SSL Certificates
Cloudflare has recently introduced free universal SSL to provide SSL to all users worldwide and this will work if you don’t have any SSL manager too.
Cloudflare Flexible SSL:
This will encrypt the connection between website visitors and cloudflare network but not from cloudflare to your server. However the benefit is your visitors will see a green lock though your website don’t have a ssl.
Cloudflare Full SSL:
This will encrypt the connection between website visitors and cloudflare network also from cloudflare to your server. You must have a valid or self-signed SSL in your server for this and visitors will see a green lock at their browser.
Cloudflare Strict Full SSL:
This will encrypt the connection between website visitors and cloudflare network also from cloudflare to your server. You must have a valid SSL in your server for this and visitors will see a green lock at their browser.
Activation of Cloudflare SSL:
To activate the cloudflare SSL just sign up to cloudflare and choose free plan at the time of registration. Now go to setting and choose whichever SSL you want to and SSL will be activated automatically within 24-48 hours.
Cloudflare vs StartSSL
Using Cloudflare, even with free SSL, is not an increase to the security and privacy of your users. Also Cloudflare records each and every information about your users and, by default, blocks users who attempt to view your site through privacy-enhancing software. I would suggest that people looking to install SSL on their website (this should be everybody) instead get their free SSL certificate from StartSSL who do not spy on or block your users. But you cannot activate StartSSL if you doesn’t have a paid hosting so at this case the choice goes to Cloudflare SSL.
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nice post. is there any video tutorial for same thing. and is it totally free.
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Very nice & Informative blog about SSL Certificate.SSL certificate or digital certificate secure your confidential information such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, or login credentials. Getting an SSL certificate is the easiest way to increase your customer's confidence in your online business.
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