Obtaining and Installing SSL/TLS Certificates

Generating a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) initiates the certificate acquisition process. The CSR contains your public key and identifying information, formatted for submission to a Certificate Authority. Most web servers provide tools for CSR generation, either through command-line utilities or control panel interfaces. Ensure the common name exactly matches your domain name, including or excluding 'www' as appropriate. For wildcard certificates, use '*.yourdomain.com' format.

Selecting a Certificate Authority involves evaluating factors beyond just price. Consider browser compatibility, issuance speed, validation requirements, and support quality. Let's Encrypt offers free automated certificates ideal for many use cases. Commercial CAs like DigiCert, Sectigo, and GlobalSign provide additional validation levels, support services, and warranty programs. Some hosting providers include SSL certificates in their plans, simplifying acquisition and installation.

The validation process varies by certificate type but must be completed before issuance. Domain Validation typically involves email verification, DNS record creation, or file upload to prove domain control. Organization Validation requires business documentation and verification phone calls. Extended Validation involves extensive identity verification. Automated validation through ACME protocol enables quick DV certificate issuance, while manual validation for OV/EV certificates may take days or weeks.

Certificate installation procedures differ across web server platforms. Apache requires modifying virtual host configurations to include SSL directives and certificate file paths. Nginx uses server block configurations with SSL certificate and key directives. IIS provides a graphical interface for importing certificates and binding them to websites. Cloud platforms often offer simplified certificate upload interfaces. Proper installation includes the full certificate chain from your certificate through intermediates to the root.