Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a system that allows for a private connection when communicating with other SSL-enabled products. It is symmetric encryption nested within public-key encryption and authenticated through the use of certificates. An SSL connection can only occur between an SSL-enabled client and an SSL-enabled server. In fact, when a server is running in SSL mode, it can only communicate through SSL.
What are Certificates?
A digital certificate is a statement signed by an independent and trusted third party. The statement usually follows very a specific format, laid down in a standard called X509, but it doesn't have to.
A certificate contains three elements:
- Subject Name and Other Certificate Extensions
This is information about the object being certified. In the case of a person this might include your name, nationality and email address, your organization, and the department within that organization where you work. It could also include a picture of you, a codification of your fingerprints, your passport number, and so on.
- Public Key Information
This is the public key of the entity being certified. The certificate acts to bind the public key to the attributes information described above. The public key can be any asymmetric key, but is usually an RSA key.
- Certifying Authority Signature
The CA signs the first two elements and thereby adds credibility to the certificate. People who receive the certificate check the signature and will believe the attribute information / public key binding if they trust that certifying authority.
Obtaining an SSL Certificate
You can get your own certificate from a variety or sources. You can get a certificate from:
www.thawte.com
www.verisign.com
www.entrust.net
Steps to obtaining your own Certificate
- To obtain your own certificate, companies like Thawte need proof of identity. A proof of organizational name and proof of the right to a domain name are required. For specific details, look here: http://www.thawte.com/certs/server/docs.html. The information will be in the control panel under the secure server section.
- Go to your control panel. Here you can generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) and RSA private key that needs to be sent to the certificate issuing company. Contact a certificate issuing company with the private RSA key and your necessary identification information or use the control panel submission feature.
- The process for installing a certificate is fairly automated from here. You still need the information obtained in step one. Follow the instructions for placing the necessary information in the text fields. You place the RSA private key in the text area first, then the certificate key that was sent to you by whomever you purchased it from.
