Guide on Buying a Certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA)

This guide will take you through the entire process, from selecting the right type of certificate based on your needs to navigating the verification and installation steps. Whether you need a basic domain validation (DV) or a high assurance extended validation (EV) certificate, understanding the process helps you make informed decisions and ensure your certificate meets your specific requirements. This blog will also explore best practices for managing your certificates to maintain compliance and security. 

The process of purchasing a Certificate from a CA

The following steps outline how to purchase a certificate from a CA: 

Step 1: Choose the Right Type of Certificate

It is important to note that not every SSL certificate is identical. Certificates vary in validation level and security assurances, so the first step is to determine which level of trust and validation your website needs based on where it will be used and who will use it. The right type of certificate can be one of the following:

Step 2: Choose a Reputable Certificate Authority (CA)

Picking a trustworthy Certificate Authority (CA) is key to ensuring safe and reliable online activities. Go for a CA that has a good reputation, works well with most browsers, and quickly fixes any security issues to keep users’ trust. Make sure the CA uses strong encryption methods and is regularly audited to ensure compliance with security regulations. Look for CAs that have easy-to-use tools for managing, renewing, and keeping track of certificates. Also, check that the CA offers strong customer support to help with technical issues or emergencies.

Consider the types of certificates offered by the CA, such as domain validation and extended validation certificates, to match your business needs. Ensure they also support additional features like code signing and email signing certificates if necessary. Well-known CAs often provide better resources and have a proven track record in the industry.

At the same time, it is important to avoid red flags when choosing a CA. Avoid CAs that lack clear and transparent policies on encryption standards, certificate issuance, or revocation processes. Limited browser compatibility or a history of slow responses to vulnerabilities are signs of potential issues. Additionally, avoid CAs with negative reviews, a poor reputation, or inadequate customer support that could leave you stranded during critical moments. By evaluating these factors carefully, you can select a CA that provides strong security and builds trust with your website users.

Step 3: Create a Certificate Signing Request (CSR)

When you have chosen the appropriate certificate type and CA, the next step is to create a Certificate Signing Request (CSR). A CSR refers to an encrypted block of text, which is created on the server and contains your organizational information and your public key that the CA will use in the certification creation. The CSR is essential because it allows the CA to verify your identity and prepare a certificate that securely ties your domain to your organization.

Are you wondering how to generate a CSR? Do not worry. The following steps can brief you:

1. Access your server: Log in to the server where your website is hosted.

2. Generate the CSR: Depending on your server type, you will use different commands, e.g., OpenSSL for Apache servers, to create a CSR file.

3. Provide accurate information: This will include your domain, company name, and contact information. Make sure these details are the ones you used when registering with the CA.

Step 4: Submit the CSR to your chosen CA

With your CSR at hand, you are now ready to submit it to the CA. At this stage, however, you will have to verify yourself with respect to the type of certificate you are requesting.

• For DV certificates: You will only need to demonstrate that you own the domain, which can be done by email verification or DNS modification.

• For OV and EV certificates: Be prepared to submit official documents such as company registration or proof of the existence of the organization.

Once all the materials are submitted to the CA, it confirms the ownership of the domain and, if necessary, the organization’s authenticity for OV and EV certificates. Once verified, the CA will issue your certificate.

Step 5: Download and Install the Certificate

The moment the CA has finished conducting the evaluation process, the next thing that they will do is issue a certificate for you. Here is what you should do:

• Download the certificate files provided by the CA.

• Install the certificate on your server. This would differ depending on the hosting environment that you are working in. If you are not sure, most CAs have installation guides, and where possible, your web host may also be able to help.

• Test your installation to confirm that everything has been set up correctly. Many CAs provide and accept requests to check whether the SSL installation on the website has been successfully completed using certain online resources.

Step 6: Keep your Certificate Renewed

Understanding certificate validity and proper management is essential to reducing the risk of outages and expired certificates. SSL certificates usually last 1–2 years, but their lifespans are getting shorter, with future standards potentially bringing them down to just 47 days. While this increases renewal frequency and costs, shorter lifespans reduce the window for potential vulnerability exploitation by limiting the time attackers have to compromise a certificate.

To prevent expiration, proper certificate management is crucial. Automated certificate management solutions can make renewals seamless, lighten the workload for IT teams, and protect against costly breaches or downtime. Many CAs also provide reminders and easy renewal processes to help maintain trust and keep operations secure.

Best Practices for SSL/TLS Certificate Management

SSL/TLS certificates play a critical role in securing your website and sensitive data. To ensure your certificates remain valid, trusted, and compliant with industry standards, it is important to adopt the following best practices for SSL certificate management.

• Choose Reliable Certificate Authority (CA): Select trusted CAs that offer strong products and robust SSL management tools with quick vulnerability response times, thorough audits, and comprehensive client support.

• Select the Right SSL Certificate Type:

  • DV: For static websites or personal blogs.

  • OV/EV: This is for organizations needing stronger authentication. EVs are ideal for e-commerce and high-security sites.

  • Avoid multi-server and wildcard certificates due to the risks of private key sharing.

• Optimize Server Configuration: Regularly review configurations and update cryptographic algorithms and SSL/TLS versions. You can use TLS server tests and patches on your systems to stay secure.

• Implement effective Certificate Management: Use a Certificate Management System (CMS) such as Encryption Consulting’s CertSecure Manager for full lifecycle visibility, automated monitoring, and expiration alerts. Maintain an inventory of certificates, including locations and ownership.

• Ensure proper Domain Ownership Verification: Confirm you can access the domain’s email (admin@domain) or DNS to verify ownership for SSL issuance.

• Use strong key lengths (2048-bit or Higher): For robust security, ensure your private key is at least 2048 bits. This helps protect against potential cryptographic attacks.

• Store private keys in Hardware Security Modules (HSMs): For maximum security and tamper resistance, store your private keys in HSMs. If HSMs are not available, use encrypted software storage with access controls and key management systems (KMS) like AWS Key Management Service. Regularly rotate keys, secure backups, and monitor usage to ensure ongoing protection.

• Reissue certificates if your private key is compromised: If your private key is lost or stolen, reissue the certificate immediately to maintain security.

• Monitor expiry dates: Regularly check the expiration dates of your certificates and set reminders for renewals. An expired certificate can cause trust issues for visitors.

• Ensure your site supports HTTPS: Before enabling HSTS, confirm that your site has a valid SSL certificate and that all content is served over HTTPS. If your site is not yet configured for HTTPS, you will have to obtain an SSL certificate and properly configure your server to use it.

• Enable HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS): Once your SSL certificate is installed, enable HSTS to instruct browsers to always connect over HTTPS, preventing man-in-the-middle attacks. To operate HSTS, you must provide an additional response header for your website. It means that you need to configure your web server to include a specific piece of information (called a “response header”) in its replies to browsers or user agents that request content from your site. This header is a set of instructions that tells the browser how to handle connections with your website, specifically enforcing secure HTTPS connections.

  This is the header you will be required to insert on your website:

    
    Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload
  
  

  Once this is implemented, it will not permit the website to have any connection as HTTP (insecure) as it changes all URLs starting with HTTP to their secure counterpart, HTTPS.

• Avoid Wildcard certificates for sensitive subdomains: Wildcard certificates cover multiple subdomains but may not be ideal for sensitive subdomains (e.g., log-in or payment pages) because a single compromised key can affect all the subdomains. Using individual certificates for sensitive areas ensures better security, control, and compliance.

• Regularly update your SSL/TLS Configurations: As new vulnerabilities emerge, periodically check and update your SSL/TLS settings to ensure optimal security. Moreover, it’s recommended to review and update your SSL/TLS configurations at least every quarter. This proactive approach ensures that any emerging vulnerabilities are addressed promptly, keeping your site secure.

• Consider Multi-Domain (SAN) Certificates: If you have several domains or subdomains, a multi-domain SSL certificate (SAN) might be more cost effective than purchasing individual certificates for each.

How can Encryption Consulting help?

CertSecure Manager by Encryption Consulting is a specialized Certificate Lifecycle management solution that helps manage the entire life cycle of digital certificates. It automates issuance, deployment, renewal, monitoring, and revocation processes involved in the certificate lifecycle. This automation minimizes risks associated with human errors, like expired certificates or misconfiguration, that can lead to service disruptions or security vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

It may feel complicated to get an SSL certificate from a regulatory authority. However, it is simple, and it offers a lot of security and trust. With these steps, you will have no problem securing your website, protecting the data of your clients, and restoring your trustworthiness with the users. This is important for everyone, whether you are running a small blog or an e-commerce site. The right SSL certificate will play a fundamental role in making the internet environment safe and trustworthy. 

If you are uncertain about the best encryption practices or need personalized guidance, Encryption Consulting is here to help. We provide expert support to ensure your website is securely protected and fully compliant with industry standards.