01_01. Introduction to SSL Certificates

In the modern internet age, delivering web content over a secure protocol has become essential. nnSince January 2017, Google attaches a warning label to any website that does not secure sensitive web page content by delivering it using HTTPS. This includes web pages that contain forms asking for usernames, passwords, credit cards and other sensitive information. nnIn the near future Google plans to roll out a requirement for all web pages to be secured. Warning labels will become progressively more aggressive, and eventually highlighted in red, bold colors on the address bar. nnIt is easy to see the consequences of not complying with this new requirement. You invest time, money and energy to drive traffic to your website. Your users expect a secure browsing experience and will likely be deterred from using your page when they see such warning labels attached. nnThere is a common misconception that securing a webpage over HTTPS requires expert server knowledge and is a costly and cumbersome process. nnThe purpose of this course is designed to teach you everything you need to know about HTTPS and SSL certificates. We start with the basics. Exploring the theory and definitions that will be useful in developing your understanding. nnFrom there, we dive into configuring a server on Digital Ocean and installing a free SSL certificate known as Let's Encrypt. We also explore setting up Cron Jobs on an Ubuntu server, to automatically renew your certificate periodically. nnAfter completing this course, you will easily be able to secure any web page using HTTPS and free SSL certificates.

What you'll learn

Distinguish between different types of SSL Certificates
Create and Configure a basic droplet on Digital Ocean
Install a Free Let's Encrypt SSL Certificate
Fix the Google "Not Secure" Warning on any website that contains input forms.
Install LAMP Stack on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
Configure Name Servers
Configure DNS Settings on Digital Ocean
Check the status of a SSL Certificate
Automatically renew a SSL Certificate periodically using cron tab, and setting up cron jobs.

Requirements

Students will require an internet connection and PC or MAC Computer System.
Terminal for MAC or PuTTY for Windows