Installing a SSL Server

Creating a key

Before you can create a digital signature/certificate. You need first to create a private key. To do this process one can use any text file to pull random data from. Or use time of day/keyboard strokes to generate this random data.

Encrypting your private key

This private key can be encrypted on the web server. However doing this means that you must type a password to start your web server.

Creating a certificate Request

A certificate request is used to request a digital certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA)

A Typical Certificate Request.

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----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-----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----

The header contents of the Certificate Request

Certificate Request: Data:Version: 0 (0x0) Subject: C=CA, ST=Ontario, L=Toronto,

O=Used Pencils Dot Org, OU=Sharping Division, CN=usedpencils.org/Email=sharp@usedpencils.org

Subject Public Key Info: Public Key Algorithm: rsaEncryption RSA Public Key: (1024 bit)

Modulus (1024 bit)

00:e5:2e:61:03:fa:52:fa:d9:c6:e4:ab:6a:0e:2c:01:87:98:4b:c4:ff:5d:ff:2b:75:08:bb:03:88:6a:9d:bd:d7:fe:30:a9:f4:f5:b9:23:d6:06:2c:ee:d6:d2:7f:cb:28:93:4e:1a:c9:a2:84:e6:36:1e:32:f8:bc:bd:88:20:1e:61:53:34:f6:df:ba:fd:5c:3d:36:b0:92:4b:db:56:5c:28:e7:c8:b8:31:27:47:26:ff:68:f1:49:63:c6:2e:c6:d4:7f:be:0c:eb:b7:43:cc:d5:c0:fd:66:d9:62:a2:6a:21:b6:b5:b6:c4:0b:18:be:4f:ec:b5:c6:ac:42:d6:37 Exponent: 65537 (0x10001) Attributes: a0:00

Signature Algorithm

Signature Algorithm: md5WithRSAEncryption ad:04:b4:cd:71:cc:c8:6e:e7:8a:95:05:ad:48:59:27:f5:ce: 2f:e6:5b:1f:3e:31:5b:aa:00:ed:69:37:d1:1c:d5:19:ac:3f:

68:b6:83:af:9b:6b:97:28:ba:68:66:ed:4e:8a:e1:a9:51:98: 42:2d:98:fa:ba:ba:58:d1:f9:f4:6a:0e:ee:0c:3e:bf:13:11:

77:e1:cd:f7:71:5a:41:93:88:07:68:b2:43:57:8d:ca:47:61: a8:2e:0f:46:c2:4f:26:94:3d:e2:82:49:55:01:6c:86:d7:15:

be:ba:eb:a4:a8:56:46:ae:de:ac:e8:b3:0d:e6:be:3d:26:a7: fc:03

Submitting your Certificate Request

Your Certificate request should then be submitted, to a Trusted Certificate Authority.

What makes a Certificate Authority “TRUSTED”

Each browser has embedding in it a list of CAs that are considered to be reliable.The role of a CA is to act as a guarantor of your certificate.Because each CA must be “hard coded” to the browser. There is a wide range as to the quality of a certificate.

Some of the trusted CAs

VersignSecurenetE-TrustCertsignMicrosoftCybertrustValicertTrustcenter

What does a CA to with a Certificate Request?

The CA will take the CR and insure the following.1) You pay them2) The person listed in the DNS records as admin authorizes the certificate.3) The certificate request you submit is a valid request.

Signing your own certificate

It is possible for anyone including yourself to sign any certificate. However unless you are listed as a “trusted” CA in the web browser’s trusted list, a warning will be display on client’s browser.

A SSL Certificate -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----MIIFgzCCBGugAwI2deAgIKN6xaiwAAAAAHJDANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQUFADCBozELMAkGA1UEBhM

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

-----END CERTIFICATE-----