Issues in SSL implementation

byMKearns

7.6K followers

8 years ago

Jay's webinar tonight focused on https upgrading to our website links. There are many things to be considered in Secure Socket Layer HTTPS encryption;

Historic Disadvantages

-the need to buy an SSI cert

SSL certificates are issued and rely on the trustworthiness of certificate authorities. Technically, you can create your own, but no one will trust it so you’ll need buy an SSL certificate.

The prices can vary as depending on how many domains or subdomains the cert covers and also on the level of identity verification.

- interfacing of encrypted content to a secure site

During the course of browsing the web, you’ll probably have received a warning that says a site which is ostensibly using SSL is serving insecure content. That’s not because they’re up to anything bad, but because they’re loading assets from other sites or services — social media widgets or advertising most frequently — that aren’t encrypted.

The browser doesn’t want users to think a site it totally secure when it isn’t, and will pop up a warning, which can be off-putting to many users who don’t understand the implications.

-Proxy server caching issues Ensure that servers are positioned so that encryption complexity is effectively handled.

Advantages

- 3rd party exclusion from reading site data

- Identity guarantee of received information

- Elimination of intruders (man in the middle) between senders and receivers capturing and altering or redirecting message data to unsecure destinations

- Google will send users to secure sites. This will help ensure a higher SEO ranking for HTTPS sites. Ensuring content is stellar will help amplify this

- Trust - last but certainly not least. Showing the green padlock indicates to customers that you are serious about security. A critical confidence booster

General advice

The disadvantages have been largely wiped out by WA's implementations for sites sponsored here. These considerations however should be considered in advising creators of external sites

Further information sourced for your selective reading at this site.

https://blog.nexcess.net/2014/...