How to Get and Enable Your Free SSL Certificate

There is no doubt that while the internet provides significant benefits, it is also rife with risk for users; as such, it is essential to protect user data by implementing an SSL certificate on your website and thus build trust. Thankfully, there are many choices, and many free ones make it easier for you to get and turn on SSL for your site. In this tutorial, we shall guide you on obtaining, installing, and activating a free SSL certificate using a power terminal.

Choosing a Free SSL Provider

Multiple respected companies provide SSL certificates for free. A few of the top choices are:

Let's Encrypt: As a certificate authority, Let's Encrypt is open, accessible, and, more importantly, automated, provided by the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG).

Cloudflare wants to enhance the security of the web traffic and help speed it up by providing free SSL/TLS certificates.

SSL For Free: SSL For Free offers free SSL certificates within minutes, utilizing ZeroSSL and Let's Encrypt for power.

ZeroSSL offers SSL certificates for free that are valid for 90 days and can be acquired in under 5 minutes, with the possibility of automating the process using ACME integrations and a REST API.

HubSpot: If your website is hosted on HubSpot CMS, you can encrypt your content and lead data using SSL for free.

Select one or several providers that suit your needs and correspond to your website's demands.

Obtaining Your Free SSL Certificate

Getting a complimentary SSL certificate requires going through a slightly varied procedure depending on the service provider, but generally involves these specific steps:

- Visit the provider's website and locate the SSL certificates section.

- Input your domain name and choose the complimentary SSL option.

- Observe the instructions on the screen to confirm your domain ownership. This could include creating a DNS entry.

- Submitting a file to your server or confirming through email.

- After your domain is verified, the provider will issue your SSL certificate for free.

- vAcquire the SSL certificate files that consist of the SSL certificate, private key, and intermediate certificate.

Enabling Your SSL Certificate

You must configure your web server to use the SSL certificate files to enable your SSL certificate. The general overview provided may vary based on the web server you are using:

- Access your web server  or hosting control panel by logging in.

- Navigate to the SSL or security settings section.

- Submit or indicate the whereabouts of your SSL certificate documents, including the SSL certificate, private key, and intermediate certificate.

- Save the changes and restart your web server.

- Check the configuration of your SSL by viewing your website with the browser using the HTTPS:// URL. Ensure the page you are on has a green padlock in the URL bar, which means the page has an SSL certificate.

Renewing Your SSL Certificate

Most free SSL certificates typically last for approximately 90 days before expiring. If you have configured SSL security on your website, make sure you reinstate your certificate before the one that you have expires. Nevertheless, some providers like Let's Encrypt and ZeroSSL have a renewal feature that can be easily connected to your application.

To renew your certificate manually:

- Access your SSL provider's dashboard by logging in.

- Begin the process of renewing your domain.

- Follow the on-screen instructions to verify your domain ownership and obtain the renewed SSL certificate.

- Update your web server configuration with the new SSL certificate files.

- Test to ensure that the new SSL certificate is functional by performing a test.

Conclusion

Everyone who owns a website knows how crucial it is to have an SSL certificate to secure users' data and build trust. Today, you can quickly get and implement SSL certificates for your web presence because of numerous free SSL vendors. By reading this guide, you can claim and install a free SSL for your website within no time, thus protecting it from possible vulnerabilities.