Protecting Your Website With a Self-Signed SSL/TLS Certificate (2024)

If you want to secure your website with an SSL/TLS certificate, you canuse a free self-signed SSL/TLS certificate. You can also purchase anSSL/TLS certificate directly through Plesk, generate aCertificate Signing Request (CSR for short) to purchase one from aCertification Authority, or protect your website with acertificate you already own.

Note: Securing your website with a self-signed SSL/TLS certificate protectswebsite visitors by encrypting communications to and from the server,but does not verify your website’s authenticity. Visitors to yourwebsite will be warned about the certificate’s lack of validity intheir browser.

To secure your website with a self-signed certificate, you need togenerate one first. To do so, go toWebsites & Domains > your website > SSL/TLS Certificates > “Advanced Settings” > and click Add SSL/TLS Certificate.Fill out the fields marked with the red asterisk symbol (*), such as the certificatename (you will use it to identify the certificate in the list of allcertificates), your personal information, the name of the domain thecertificate will be protecting, and so on.

Note: If you want to generate a wildcard SSL/TLS certificate, your domainname must start with an asterisk symbol (*). For example, acertificate generated for *.example.com can be used to secure anysubdomain of example.com.

When you have finished, click Self-Signed. This will result in theself-signed certificate being generated and placed in your repository.You can see a list of all SSL/TLS certificates in your repository bygoing to Websites & Domains > your website > SSL/TLS Certificates > “Advanced Settings”.

Now that the certificate has been generated, you need to install it. Goto Websites & Domains > your website > Hosting Settings.From the Certificate menu, select the certificate you have justgenerated and then click OK.

Protecting Your Website With a Self-Signed SSL/TLS Certificate (2024)

FAQs

How do I fix my self-signed TLS SSL certificate? ›

How to Fix SSL Certificate Error
  1. Diagnose the problem with an online tool.
  2. Install an intermediate certificate on your web server.
  3. Generate a new Certificate Signing Request.
  4. Upgrade to a dedicated IP address.
  5. Get a wildcard SSL certificate.
  6. Change all URLS to HTTPS.
  7. Renew your SSL certificate.
Apr 3, 2024

What is self-signed TLS SSL certificate? ›

The expression “self-signed certificates” typically refers to TLS/SSL certificates that have been generated standalone, without any linkage to a root or intermediate certificate. This can also apply to other X.

What's the problem with using self-signed SSL certificates? ›

Not trusted by browsers and users

Self-signed certificates contain private and public keys within the same entity, and they cannot be revoked, thus making it difficult to detect security compromises.

How to avoid self-signed certificate warning? ›

Purchasing an SSL certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA) (Recommended) Purchasing an SSL certificate from a Certificate Authority is the best way to remove the self-signed SSL certificate error/warning.

How do I enable https with self-signed certificate? ›

The following steps configure HTTPS using a self-signed certificate:
  1. Create a new self-signed certificate.
  2. Configure ArcGIS Server to use the certificate.
  3. Configure each GIS server in your deployment.
  4. Configure HTTPS for your site.
  5. Access your site using HTTPS.
  6. Import the certificate into the OS certificate store.

What is the biggest issue with a self-signed certificate? ›

Customers trust

The Self-Signed SSL Certificates are easy to replicate. Hackers can use this technique against your company, designing a website that looks just like yours in order to steal personal information or credit card information from your users. This can put your customers' identities at risk.

How do I add TLS to my website? ›

If you want to secure your website with an SSL/TLS certificate, you can use a certificate you already own. First, you need to upload the certificate. To do so, go to Websites & Domains and click SSL/TLS Certificates > Add SSL/TLS Certificate.

Do browsers accept self-signed certificates? ›

By default, browsers do not trust self-signed certificates because they lack prior knowledge of them.

What is an example of a self-signed certificate? ›

For example, the Encrypting File System on Microsoft Windows issues a self-signed certificate on behalf of a user account to transparently encrypt and decrypt files on the fly. Another example is root certificate, which is a form of self-signed certificate.

Why do I need a SSL TLS certificate? ›

Protects private data

Browsers validate the SSL/TLS certificate of any website to start and maintain secure connections with the website server. SSL/TLS technology helps ensure the encryption of all communication between your browser and the website.

What is the difference between TLS certificate and signing certificate? ›

Another key difference is that SSL/TLS encrypts all communication between clients and servers, Code Signing doesn't actually encrypt the software– it encrypts the signature and timestamp as part of the signature block. The actually integrity test is done via hashing.

Are self-signed SSL certificates safe? ›

Compromised self-signed certificates can pose many security challenges, since attackers can spoof the identity of the victim. Unlike CA-issued certificates, self-signed certificates cannot be revoked. The inability to quickly find and revoke private key associated with a self-signed certificate creates serious risk.

Will SSL self-signed certificates cause browser warnings? ›

Users receive warning messages in their browser when they try to access a web site secured by a self-signed certificate. This is because a trusted Certificate Authority has not signed the certificate.

Do self-signed SSL certificates expire? ›

As mentioned earlier, your own certificates don't need to be renewed because they never expire. This means they are never updated or changed to fix vulnerabilities or meet the newest security standards. This leaves your environment vulnerable to hackers and cyberattacks.

How do I update my self-signed SSL certificate? ›

Procedure
  1. Log into System Manager.
  2. Select CLUSTER -> Settings and click the arrow next to Certificates.
  3. Select the Client/Server Certificates tab.
  4. Select the ellipsis for the certificate then Renew.
  5. Update the certificate name and duration as needed.
  6. Click on the checkbox for Self-sign the certificate then Renew.
Feb 5, 2024

How do I change my SSL TLS settings? ›

Google Chrome
  1. Open Google Chrome.
  2. Click Alt F and select Settings.
  3. Scroll down and select Show advanced settings...
  4. Scroll down to the Network section and click on Change proxy settings...
  5. Select the Advanced tab.
  6. Scroll down to Security category, manually check the option box for Use TLS 1.1 and Use TLS 1.2.
  7. Click OK.
Nov 1, 2023

How to update SSL TLS certificate? ›

How to Renew an SSL Certificate
  1. Set reminders for SSL expiration.
  2. Generate a Certificate Signing Request.
  3. Purchase and activate your new SSL certificate.
  4. Complete domain control validation.
  5. Install your new SSL certificate.
Apr 3, 2024

How do I reset my SSL certificate? ›

Google Chrome
  1. Start the Windows Control Panel.
  2. In the Find a setting text box, type internet options, and then click Internet Options.
  3. Click the Content tab.
  4. In the Certificates section, click Clear SSL state, and then click OK.

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