SSL Certificates for Web Developers

Course details

All websites should be using secure connections over HTTPS by default. Web browsers have evolved and warn users whenever sites allow insecure connections. At the same time, the Let's Encrypt project has made it easy to install SSL certificates for free. In this course, instructor Kevin Skoglund explains what an SSL certificate is, how it is used to encrypt communications between a server and a browser, and how to choose the domain scope and validation type. He demonstrates how to install free certificates from Let's Encrypt using Certbot or install purchased certificates from a traditional certificate authority. He shows how to configure the web server to default to HTTPS and how HSTS directives can tell browsers to always use HTTPS.

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - SSL certificates are essential for every website
02 - What you need to know

1. SSL and HTTPS

03 - What are SSL certificates
04 - HTTPS is a necessity
05 - Handshakes and cryptography

2. Choose a Certificate

06 - Certificate authorities (CAs)
07 - Free certificates with Let's Encrypt
08 - Self-signed certificates
09 - Certificate types

3. Install a Certificate with Let's Encrypt

10 - Get started with Let's Encrypt
11 - Install using Certbot
12 - Install using a hosting provider

4. Install a Purchased Certificate

13 - Certificate signing request (CSR)
14 - Purchase an SSL certificate
15 - Install on Apache
16 - Install on NGINX

5. Configure a Web Server to Require HTTPS

17 - Redirect requests to HTTPS
18 - HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS)

6. Manage Certificates

19 - Expiration dates
20 - Renew Let's Encrypt certificates

Conclusion

21 - Next steps