+1(888) 481.5388
Linkedin ComodoSSLstore
View Cart
  1. Home
  2. Resources
  3. SSL Advanced

SSL Advanced

Steps to Install a Windows SSL Certificate on Windows (IIS) Server

Wondering how to install a Windows SSL certificate on your Windows (IIS) server? Well, you’ve landed at the right place at the right time. In this post, we will talk about how you can install an SSL certificate on a Windows server (IIS) – whether it's IIS version 5, 6, 7, 8, 8.5, or 10.

Read more...

What is a PEM Certificate File & How Do I Create a PEM File?

After years of push by the browser and security communities, ordinary website owners have finally realized the importance of an SSL/TLS certificate. As a result, most website owners get an SSL certificate as soon as they build their website. But many are new to this territory, and could get hung up on some of the complexities of the cybersecurity world. One of those complexities could be the PEM certificate file. Therefore, in this post, we’ll be discussing what a PEM certificate file is and how you can create one.

Read more...

The Lowdown on the Web Server Certificate

What springs to mind when you hear the word "web server certificate?" The people who're miles away from the nerdy stuff could think that it's some kind of a certificate for a web server. A certificate for a web server? It doesn't make any sense, does it? Well, that's the thing about these terms. They sound sweet and straightforward on the surface but mean something totally different when we peel the layers back. “Web server SSL certificate” is one such term.

Read more...

What Is a Signing Certificate, and How Does It Work?

SSL Certificate, code signing certificate, email security certificate, document signing certificate… the world of internet security is filled with all kinds of certificates, and it's quite obvious you can get yourself confused with so many of them out there. But don't you worry as we've got it covered for you. By the end of this article, you'll have the answer to your "what is a signing certificate?" question. And the best part is that you don't need to be a oh so experienced to understand it. So, let's get started!

Read more...

4 Simple Steps to Install a Fortigate SSL Certificate

If you’re using a Fortigate firewall and you want to install a Fortigate SSL certificate, then you’re definitely on the right track. That’s because having a firewall isn’t enough these days, thanks to the rising number of security threats. Installing an CA-certified SSL certificate on your Fortigate firewall will help you on three fronts –authentication, encryption and data integrity.

Read more...

Revealed: The Most Trusted SSL Certificates for 2020

It's 2020, and today, SSL certificates are more relevant than ever! Whether you're looking for user trust, business credibility, SEO benefit, or merely an encrypted connection, an SSL/TLS certificate has become a matter of no compromise for website owners. But one question becomes quite pertinent (sometimes irritating as well) when you're building a website: "How to find trusted SSL certificates in 2020?" Well, we understand your confusion. That's why we've come up with a list of SSL certificates that you can trust.

Read more...

What Is a Shared SSL Certificate and How Does it Differ from Dedicated SSL?

In this post, we'll mainly talk about shared SSL certificates, how they differ from dedicated/private SSL certificates, and which one is right for you. Before we dive into all of that, let's first understand what a shared SSL/TLS certificate is.

Read more...

What Is an Exchange SSL Certificate?

Everything you need to know about Exchange SSL certificates…

What is an Exchange SSL certificate? How do they work? What’s the best SSL certificate for Exchange server? How can I get an Exchange SSL certificate? If you ever wondered about one or more

Read more...

What is SSL Certificate Encryption Strength? Which Cert Should I Choose?

“What does SSL certificate encryption strength mean?” In this post, we'll break down what “SSL encryption strength” means and help you learn how to make an informed decision about the best SSL certificate for your website security. But, before we dive into SSL/HTTPS encryption strength, let's first understand how SSL encryption works.

Read more...

What Is an RSA Algorithm in Cryptography?

“What is RSA encryption?” and “What is an RSA algorithm?” These are two of the first questions someone who hasn’t dealt with SSL/TLS certificates before asks when they come across the term “RSA.” RSA is a term quite commonly used when it comes to cryptography. RSA is a modern cryptographic algorithm that encrypts and decrypts data. It was invented by mathematicians named Rivest, Shamir and Adleman (hence where the name “RSA” was derived) in year 1978.

Read more...

SSL Certificate Authority — What You Should Know About SSL Authority Organizations

If you’re trying to understand what an SSL certificate authority is, let’s consider a few analogies: If public key infrastructure (PKI) was a tree, certificate authority (CA) would be its trunk; if it was a car, CA would be its chassis; if it was a chair, CA would be its sturdy frame. Well, we’re getting too much off track, but you get the point, right?

Read more...

An X509 Certificate — All You Need to Know About X.509 Security

What exactly is an X.509 certificate? Here’s the answer

In cryptography, X.509 is a standard format for public key certificates. A digital certificate that uses the SSL X.509 standard is regarded as an “X.509 certificate,” although you sometimes may

Read more...

Do I Need a Dedicated IP for SSL?

Two very common questions people ask us are “do I need a dedicated IP for SSL?” and “Is SSL without a dedicated IP possible?” Both related questions are understandable because SSL/TLS certificates as a concept can be pretty confusing thing to deal with at times — especially if you’re coming across it for the first time. And that’s why we’re here — to help you make sense of topics relating to SSL.

Read more...

Hashing vs Encryption — Simplifying the Differences

Ah, yes, hashing vs encryption. For those of you who have no idea as to what hashing or encryption is, it’s pretty much like a blank paper that we’ll fill in for you momentarily. But for those of you who have a vague understanding of either hashing or encryption, you may still have some confusion as to whether hashing and encryption are the same thing or if they’re two different processes.

Read more...

6 SSL Certificate Best Practices to Improve Your Website Security

From “do we even need SSL?” to “we don't have SSL yet?” — the world of website security has witnessed a dramatic change in the attitude of website owners. An SSL certificate is no longer a luxury for them; it's an absolute necessity. Regardless of whether your goal is to avoid security warnings displaying in browsers for non-HTTPS sites or to enjoy the SEO advantage given to HTTPS sites, it’s important that you follow SSL certificate best practices.

Read more...

A SSL Certificate File Extension Explanation: PEM, PKCS7, DER, and PKCS#12

There’s no doubt that the world of SSL certificates can be highly confusing for someone who is new to the industry. One of the reasons behind this is the different formats in which SSL certificates are issued. Yes, you read that right: SSL certificates can be issued in various formats such as CER, CRT, DER, PEM, P7B, P7S, PFX, P12, etc. That’s because SSL certificates are issued with different certificate file extensions or in different file formats — such as a PKCS7 certificate or a DER certificate — based on their encoding and the information they store.

Read more...

SHA2 SSL/TLS Certificates: All You Need to Know

SSL. TLS. SHA-1. SHA-2. SHA2 certificates. If you're even a little bit exposed to the world of SSL/TLS certificates, you must've realized that it's full of weird acronyms that mean nothing that they sound like. Today, we're going to talk about one such acronym that puzzles many. Yes, we're going to talk about SHA2 and how it’s used in the security implemented by SSL certificates.

Read more...

OCSP & SSL Certificates — All You Need to Know About OCSP Protocol

We know you’re here to learn about online certificate status protocol (OCSP), but first, imagine if you're a web browser (yes, we're serious). In this scenario, one of your users types in the URL of an SSL-enabled website. Because you're a browser, you're supposed to visit the website, fetch it and show it to your user. So, how would you verify that the certificate of the website is valid?? How do you know whether a certificate authority (CA) hasn’t revoked the certificate?

Read more...

What is a Premium SSL Certificate & Benefits of Premium SSL?

What Is Premium SSL Certificate?

“Premium SSL certificates” are distinguished variants of the standard SSL certificate. They are specially designed for securing e-commerce websites and come packed with enhanced features and additional

Read more...

Is It Safe to Use 256 Bit SSL Encryption for Website Security?

Is 256 bit SSL encryption safe? Yes. In fact, 256 bit SSL encryption is actually considered the standard when it comes to website security. But when it comes to understanding 256 bit security in terms of its certificate, hashing algorithm, and keys, there’s a surprising amount you need to know. It’s not just about the certificate itself — that’s only part of the equation when it comes to website security.

Read more...

What is A Root CA Certificate and How Do I Download It?

Every root CA certificate is the reason that SSL certificates are regarded as the standard basis for website security today. Considering cybercrime damages are projected to reach $6 trillion annually by 2021, keeping your business’s cyber security measures in check should be at the top of your priority list.

Read more...

Back Up or Export an SSL Certificate with a Private Key

Many users believe that once they’ve installed an SSL certificate on a web server, they can’t back up or export the certificate and install it on another server. Well guess what? They’re wrong. You absolutely can export a certificate with its private key.

Read more...

128 Bit SSL Encryption: What You Need to Know

There are two possible reasons why you're reading this post right now. The first is that you're exploring SSL certificate options, and you stumbled across the term “128 bit SSL encryption.” The second possible case could be that you came across this term on an ecommerce site or somewhere else, and your sheer curiosity led you here. In either case, you'll have a good enough idea about 128 bit SSL encryption.

Read more...

128 Bit vs 256 Bit Encryption SSL: What You Need to Know

As you’re reading this blog post, it’s highly likely that you’ve come across various SSL certificate options of 128 and 256-bit encryption strength. And now you’re probably wondering what the difference is between the two and which is more effective. On the surface, it's evident that the bigger the encryption strength, the better it is. However, there’s more to 128 bit vs 256 bit encryption than just the numbers. And the true strength of encryption lies In this post, we’ll outline what both 128 and 256 bit encryption mean, how they differ, and which one is better for you.

Read more...

CER vs CRT: The Technical Difference & How to Convert Them

CER, CRT, DER, PEM, P7B, P7S, PFX, and P12. Do you feel like pulling your hair when you see so many SSL/TLS certificate formats and extensions? Well, you’re not the only one. In our experience, a person dealing with SSL certificates passes through this stage at least once in their life. So, don’t worry as many have been there (and many are yet to arrive). In the meantime, we want to help by making this phase as short as possible for you. And that’s why we’ve come up with this article — to help you clear up any confusion regarding CER vs CRT files.

Read more...

Why I Should Conduct an SSL Certificate Price Comparison

An SSL certificate is considered a must-have for any business that operates a website. After all, it’s what enables you to use the HTTPS encrypted protocol to securely transmit data between your end users’ client and your server. As you’ve likely seen when perusing various SSL reseller and certificate authority (CA) websites, though, the prices can vary dramatically from one certificate to the next. But why is that? And what should you consider when you compare SSL certificate prices?

Read more...

TLS vs SSL vs HTTPS – What’s the Difference?

That’s a great question. Over the past several years, Google and Mozilla have led a push that encourages all websites to switch from HTTP to HTTPS. This has led to a lot more awareness around website security and internet encryption, but many people find the acronyms a bit confusing. And, quite frankly, we can’t blame them — there are a lot of abbreviations to keep track of when it comes to website security! Let’s break down TLS vs SSL vs HTTPS in simple language.

Read more...

What Is a CA Signed Certificate & How Do I Get One?

If you’re getting ready to switch your website from HTTP to HTTPS, you may be wondering whether you need to purchase a CA signed certificate for SSL, or if you can just use a self-signed certificate. Here’s what you need to know…

Read more...

How Much Does an SSL / HTTPS Certificate Cost?

Since you’re reading this article, you probably already know that you need an HTTPS certificate for your website (technically, they’re called TLS certificates, but they’re colloquially referred to as SSL certificates or HTTPS certificates a lot). The next question you’re probably asking is: what’s the price of an HTTPS certificate? Let’s dive into the key things you need to know to get the lowest HTTPS certificate cost that meets your needs.

Read more...

What is an SSL Certificate for Your Mail Server?

Servers that host websites aren’t the only ones that need SSL certificates. You need to have an SSL certificate on your mail server, too.

Read more...

Best WooCommerce SSL Provider — Get Up to 80% Off on WooCommerce SSL

Wondering what WooCommerce SSL is? WooCommerce itself is an open source eCommerce plugin for WordPress. So, what this means is that when someone is talking about a WooCommerce SSL certificate, it means that they’re talking about an SSL certificate that they use on their WooCommerce WordPress website.

Read more...

Self Signed Certificate vs CA Certificate — Which One’s Right for Me?

We get asked a lot about self signed certificates vs CA signed certificates — specifically why you can’t just sign your own SSL certificates and avoid working through the certificate authorities (CAs).

Read more...

What is an SSL Certificate Chain and Why Should I Follow It?

To truly understand SSL certificates and what an SSL certificate chain is, you need at least a rudimentary knowledge of public key infrastructure (PKI). PKI is a system of certificate authorities (CAs), root programs, and digital certificates. PKI is the trust model that undergirds SSL/TLS.

Read more...

Tomcat SSL: SSL Certificates for Tomcat Servers

Apache Tomcat servers are widely used to host websites and execute Java servlets. They’re application servers, and one of the most popular server-types our customers use. Unfortunately, sometimes Tomcat servers don’t play nicely with SSL — at least, this is the case if you’re not sure what you’re doing. That’s why we’ve written a Tomcat SSL guide that discusses SSL certificates for Tomcat Servers.

Read more...

How to Set Up Multiple SSL Certificates on One IP

Before a transport layer security (TLS) extension called Server Name Indication (SNI) was published, secure sockets layer (SSL) certificates were limited to organization validation (OV) SSL certificates that secured an IP address. For a website to use SSL, it needed a dedicated IP. Today, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Read more...

How Do I find My Comodo SSL Certificate Private Key?

If you're here because you want to know how to find your Comodo SSL certificate private key, then breathe a sigh of relief. We can help.

Read more...

Not Sure How to Find the Private Key of a Certificate?

We often receive questions from people wanting to know what an SSL certificate’s private key is, what it’s used for, and how to find it. SSL certificates make use of a public/private key pair during its handshake. This is a working example of public key infrastructure (PKI), which uses digital certificates to authenticate identity on the internet.

Read more...

How to Move an SSL Certificate to Another Server

Whether it’s because of a server location change or an upgrade, you may need to transfer settings and data from one server to another. And, of course, we all know an SSL certificate is one thing you definitely should never forget to move between servers, as it keeps your website’s connection encrypted and helps your site stay compliant with security standards and regulations.

Read more...

How to Install a Wildcard SSL Certificate on Apache

Look, you and I both know all you’re looking for is an explanation of how to install a wildcard SSL certificate on an Apache server. But first, a little primer on what Apache SSL is and how wildcard SSL certificates are used on them.

Read more...

How to Install SSL Certificate on AWS EC2 Instance

Not sure how to add an SSL certificate to an EC2 instance? We’ve got you covered. Amazon Web Services (AWS), like so many other Amazon product offerings, has catapulted into one of the industry’s leading hosting providers. Read more...

Read more...

SSL Cipher Suites: The Ultimate Guide

A deep look at the algorithms that facilitate SSL and TLS

For most people, the topic of mathematical underpinnings of digital encryption is one that’s entirely appropriate for cryptographers and nerds. Incidentally, there’s a lot of overlap on that Venn

Read more...

SSL: A Client Certificate vs Server Certificate

How client vs server certificates are used for authentication

As of 2018, most website owners are acutely aware of server SSL certificates. Client SSL certificates? Not so much. And that’s a shame because client SSL certificates can play a critical security

Read more...

SNI SSL vs IP SSL — The Ultimate Difference Explained

A breakdown of the differences between SNI vs IP SSL

Though its rare these days, you may occasionally run across terms like SNI SSL and IP SSL or website talking about the differences between SNI SSL vs IP SSL. These terms harken back to the early days

Read more...

How to Fix the NET::ERR_SSL_PINNED_KEY_NOT_IN_CERT_CHAIN Google Chrome Error

L/TLS certificates are essential to web security. They became mandatory in 2018. But misconfiguring one can cause a whole load of unintended problems.

Read more...

What SSL Certificate Port Does SSL Use?

A look at what an “SSL certificate port” is (or isn’t)

Today, we’ll answer one of the most common questions we get: “What port does SSL use?” Or, to put it other way that people ask: what are some of the most common SSL certificate port numbers that

Read more...