The Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificates represent the underpinnings of trust in most web and internet transactions. Trust is the key word when it comes to SSL and HTTPS. When a website uses SSL, the communication between the browser and the server is encrypted, but to obtain an SSL certificate, you must establish a level of trust with an issuing authority.
To enable SSL, you must install a certificate on your server. Certificates are issued by a certificate authority (CA). Today, there are many certificate authorities, and it would be difficult to list them all. You should search for the best provider for your needs. I will discuss a few in this chapter. You will also learn about the different types of certificates and the additional features that CAs package them with. In the not too distant past, Network Solutions was the only authority from which available to...