<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you know what a self-signed certificate is? Well, stick around to get this and many more.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As technology grows so do many ways of using it increase. Each day there are many new formulas and strategies to utilize technology.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A while ago we faced inconveniences; took time to complete tasks, had to waste cash before getting the right information…</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These days with just the internet and a smartphone you can get anything you want. One can make orders and get deliveries to where they are.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">No more inconveniences anymore. However, with these advances, there have been security risks too.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Malicious people are now manipulating systems and stealing data. They are also attacking systems and denying people access.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These malicious people are making life difficult. They are threatening the best marketplaces, information centers…</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Well, security starts with you. A way to ensure that you are safe is by the use of a self-signed certificate.</span></p>
<h3><strong>What are self-signed certificates?</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They are certificates that aren’t signed by the trusted certificate authority. It’s also a certificate generated by an organization and not by the certificate authorities.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A company or developer creates it to make their website or software to be safe.</span></p>
<h3><strong>Are self-signed certificates secure?</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They are safe to protect sites with few visitors, not requiring sensitive information. However, they are not that great since they can be exploited. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hackers can take advantage of these sites and manipulate data. A certificate authority has guidelines and keeps monitoring their certificates. </span></p>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pros and Cons</span></h3>
<p><strong>Pros:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">They are free- one can create them and eliminate the cost of buying one.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">One can use it to secure intranet and small sites- a LAN network can use a self-signed certificate to secure the data.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Encrypt incoming and outgoing data- all data that is going into the server and out of the server is kept safe.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">They are flexible and customizable- one can use them to run tests.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Cons</strong></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Difficult to monitor- it’s difficult to know when it expires.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Can cost you- hackers can manipulate it and steal data.</span></li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>Where to use a self-signed certificate?</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An Intranet- a local network where users need to go through a server to get resources. This prevents a man in the middle attack.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A development server- when working on an application or testing some web application you can deploy it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Personal sites with few visitors- well if you got a personal site that doesn’t deal with sensitive data you can opt to use a self-signed certificate.</span></p>
<h3><strong>Self-signed certificate errors</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These certificates are not credible by the browser and often run into the following errors:</span></p>
<h4><strong>Certificate Is Not Trusted </strong></h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This error tells you that the site you are trying to access is not secure: attackers might be trying to steal your information.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, it also has an option to proceed to the address unsafe. If you trust the site you can proceed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Browsers come with a list of trusted certificate providers. Once you create your own certificate it may be difficult for a browser to recognize it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One can change this by installing the certificate manually or just proceeding to the site.</span></p>
<h4><strong>Intermediate Certificate Issues </strong></h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This means that the certificate was not completely installed on the server(s) hosting the sites. To check this problem use the SSL tester.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Resolving this problem is easy you need to install the intermediate certificate file to the server that hosts your website.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Once done check for errors using the SSL tester.</span></p>
<h3><strong>Alternatives to Self signed certificate</strong></h3>
<h4><strong>Secure Socket Layer (SSL)</strong></h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s an internet protocol that authenticates and encrypted data between two systems. It ensures that data passes smoothly to the intended targets.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It eliminates the chances of sniffing and phishing. Makes sure the data maintains its integrity through transit.</span></p>
<p><a href="https://truehost.cloud/secure-socket-layer/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">An SSL</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is the best protection against identity theft and malicious people who want to manipulate data for personal gain.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One can get an SSL from:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://truehost.com.ng/ssl-certificates/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Truehost</span></a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://askssl.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ASK SSL</span></a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Whogohost</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">GoDaddy</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">DigiCert</span></li>
</ul>
<h4><strong>Transport Layer Security (TLS)</strong></h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is an updated secure version of SSL. It encrypts data and ensures it transits safely to the intended target.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It protects data from unauthorized access it encrypts data with algorithms and makes it not viewable by third parties.</span></p>
<h4><strong>HyperText Protocol Secure (HTTPS)</strong></h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This protocol shows you that the site is safe. Means it has an SSL/TLS installed. It prevents insecure data access.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Major versions of browsers support it. Both your website and client’s data need to be protected. Ensure you transact smoothly with the right tools.</span></p>
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