Self-signed vs. Signed Certificates

A self-signed SSL certificate is very similar to a signed certificate. Both of the certificates will provide a secure encrypted connection to transfer data. The main difference is when using a signed certificate you are having another company,  Ifastnet uses GeoTrust verify that your website and business are legitimate. When you use a self-signed certificate, you are saying to your visitors “trust me – I am who I say I am.”

We suggest that if your website is selling products or services, i.e. you are getting confidential information like credit cards or PayPal details, you use a signed certificate. 

If you are setting up an SSL so that your visitors can enter login information or collecting personal (non-financial) information you will be ok following the steps below to set up a self-signed SSL certificate.

Setting up your Self-Signed SSL

 **All pictures are for reference only. The actual layout of your interface may differ from the images below**

**You will need to change all references of yourdomain.co.uk to the domain that you for which you are creating the SSL.**

STEP 1: Log into your cPanel interface. You can log in at yourdomain.com:2082 replacing the example with your domain name.

**If you need help logging in, our technical support department would be happy to help. Just submit a ticket requesting your login credentials and be sure to include the domain name you need access to.**

STEP 2: Once logged into the Cpanel, click on SSL/TLS Manager in the Security section.

STEP 3: On the page that loads you will go to the link under Private Keys.

STEP 4: At the bottom of the page there is a section to Generate a New Key select your domain from the drop down menu. We suggest using a 2,048 bits key or higher.

On the page that loads click on the Return to SSL Manager.

STEP 5: You will now click on the link under the Certificate Signing Requests.

STEP 7: You will now fill out the form for the domain that you wish to create the SSL on.

Host: yourdomain.com (replacing yourdomain.com with the domain you are adding SSL to )

Country: Please use this list of available country codes

State: Sometimes referred to as the Ceremonial County.
City: Your city
Company: The name of your company
Company Division: What your company does, e.g. if you run an ecommerce shop you can put E-commerce.
Email: An email on your domain, most commonly admin@yourdomain.co.uk
Pass Phrase: A secure combination of numbers and letters

**The United Kingdom should be GB not UK.**

Once the form is filled out click Generate.

 

On the page that loads click on the Return to SSL Manager.

STEP 8: You will now click on the link under the Certificates.

STEP 9: Once the new page has loaded you will fill out the form for the Generate a New Certificate

 

** You will want the information on this form to match the information you just created on the Certificate Signing Requests form you just filled out.**

 

Host: yourdomain.co.uk
Country: Please use this list of available country codes.
State: The first 2 characters of the Ceremonial CountyG
City: Your city
Company: The name of your company
Company Division: What your company does, e.g. if you run an ecommerce shop you can put E-commerce.
Email: An email on your domain, most commonly admin@yourdomain.co.uk

 

**The United Kingdom should be GB not UK.**

Once the form is filled out click Generate.

 

On the page that loads click on the Return to SSL Manager.

STEP 10: On the page that loads you will then click on the link under Activate SSL on Your Web Site.

STEP 11: You will select the domain that you are using

Then at the bottom of the page you will click Install Certificate.