In order to activate SSL to secure your website, you need
to have
- an SSL certificate, and
- a dedicated IP address.
SSL Certificate: An SSL certificate is provided by a
reputed third party provider (Certifying Authority, or CA). To activate SSL, you
need to
1. Generate a CSR, or a Certificate Signing
Request from your Control Panel.
2. Submit the CSR to the Certifying Authority
(CA) from whom you wish to purchase the certificate.
3. Get the certificate issued by your CA, and
submit the same for your website from your Control Panel.
Dedicated IP address: An IP address
specifically for your website. This IP address is not shared with other web
hosting packages on a shared server, and is used only by your website. Dedicated
ip address is required to provide a separate dedicated channel for the encrypted
data to flow between the client (browser) and the server.
NOTE: If you have opted for SSL when you
purchased your hosting package, a dedicated IP address will be allotted to your
site. However, if you have not opted for SSL and choose upgrade to do so later,
a dedicated IP address will be allotted to your site only when SSL is activated.
Until then, your site will continue to function using a shared IP address.
