Security Certificates:- Knowing You’ve Arrived at the Right Place
Installing security certificates and identifying users and websites on the internet is a vast and complex field. Yes, it’s true. Security is not a simple business, but it allows us to do really cool things with the internet, like encrypted chats that keep your conversations private, secure online banking that guards your finances, or even the ability to stream your favorite shows without worrying about prying eyes.
This article will focus on the essentials – empowering you.
My goal is to give you knowledge that will enable you to understand where you have surfed, if the site is reliable and genuine, and that you actually have arrived where you wanted to be 🙂
Technical knowledge about Certificates, SSL TLS, and DevSecOps can be found here or here.
Security Certificates are Basic
Every time we surf the internet, we rely on security certificates to ensure our information is safe and that we arrive at the correct destination. These certificates, also known as SSLTLS, serve as a seal of trust from the sites we visit, allowing us to verify that we have reached the desired site and not a sophisticated forgery.
A security certificate is like a “digital identity card” for an internet site. It confirms that the site you have reached is a genuine site and not a fake one trying to deceive you. The certificate contains information such as the name of the site, the organization that issued it, and the validity dates.
The Importance of SSL TLS
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) are protocols that ensure that the communication between you and the website is encrypted and secure. When a site uses SSL TLS, you can see a lock symbol in the browser’s address box, and the website’s address begins with “https://”.
First, let’s understand what SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is.
SSL in a nutshell
In simple terms, this technology secures the communication between your browser and the server of the website you are connecting to. This means that when you type sensitive information, like credit card details, that information is encrypted and protected from prying eyes.
Now, how do you know that the site you are visiting is authentic and not a fake site created to steal your information? The answer lies in the TLS certificate. This certificate is a means of authentication that proves that the site you are connecting to is the actual site.
How do you check this? Simple. In your browser, look for the lock symbol next to the site’s address. If the lock is closed and appears in green, it means that the site uses a TLS certificate and the connection to it is secure. You can also click on the lock for more details about the certificate and the authentication.
Additionally, it’s important to remember that not all secure sites are necessarily safe. Even malicious sites can obtain a TLS certificate. Therefore, it’s important to use discretion and always check that the site you are connecting to is a known and trustworthy site.
How to Check a Security Certificate?
Lock Check: Look for the lock symbol next to the site’s address. If the lock is closed and there is no warning, it’s a good sign.
Certificate Details: Click on the lock and check the certificate details. You can see who issued the certificate, to whom it was given, and the validity dates.
Error Messages: If any error message appears regarding the certificate, it could be a sign of a counterfeit site or that the site is not maintained anymore, and the founders didn’t even bother to renew the certificate.
Meanwhile, at the Cyber Camp
While information security and TLS protection are the bread and vegan butter of the digital world, it’s important to remember that they are really just the basics. Because let’s admit it, even if you just drank chocolate milk and ate a sweet roll, you still haven’t had a full breakfast.
Just so you know, we at Develeap eat security issues for breakfast.
Especially those that deal with certificates, VPN, K8s cluster security, or cloud security. And that’s why we would be happy to meet over some omelette du fromage to help you secure your system.
P.S Turns out – writing makes me hungry. Also, doing “replace all” on ssl was super easy.