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How to Install SSL Certificate on Your Blog

Blogging is essential for many people around the globe. It provides a platform on which they can communicate with the world, share information, express their passions and dreams and for some, it is a primary source of revenue.

Essentially, bloggers lay bare their lives on their blogs. They expose years of their lives to the millions of strangers on the internet. Blogger uses their blog to share information through content, offer signup and collect reader information like name, email, address, etc. This makes for a very lucrative information gold mine for cybercriminals.

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Importance of Security in blogging

In the event of a cyber-attack on a blog, both you, the blogger and your readers are left exposed and at the mercy of the criminals. Access to your online accounts linked to your blog and the login details of your subscribers are just examples of how much you would stand to lose.

Attacks on your blog could be anything from spam attacks to malware infections to content theft and traffic redirection. Hackers, spammers, and content thieves are always coming up with new ways to breach any security measures you may use to secure your blog. Therefore, you should always stay up to date with the cybersecurity developments.

One of the most excellent ways to secure your blog is with an SSL certificate.

What is SSL?

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a cryptographic protocol that ensures the transfers of information over the internet network are secure. It establishes an encrypted link between a browser & web server and easily identifies through the padlock and https protocol. This protects sensitive information from eavesdropping. SSL is enabled through an SSL Certificate.

Benefits of having SSL on your blog

HTTPS is mandatory for a website dealing with sensitive information such as social security numbers, credit card information and login details. Essentially, SSL required in e-commerce sites to authentication and encryption Payment Card details as per Industry Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS).

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Since most blogs are purely educational and there is no transmission of sensitive data between browsers and servers, bloggers are reluctant to install SSL Certificates. Your blog may not require the data security provided by SSL encryption but it can still benefit greatly from having the certificate. Some of these benefits include-

1. Improved Google SEO ranking

In late 2014, Google announced that SSL was going to be used as a ranking factor. This means blogs that adopt SSL should rank higher than those that do not. More recently, Google went even further by announcing that they will now be marking web pages as “non-secure” if they are not using HTTPS.

Given the reluctance of most blogs to embrace SSL, using an SSL certificate on your blog should give you a sizeable competitive edge over others in the same niche.

2. Authenticity and trust

An SSL certificate does more than secure data. It is a powerful trust signal. Using it on your blog increases users’ trust in your brand.

How to install SSL on CPanel for your WordPress blog

You can complete the SSL installation process through the SSL/TLS Manager on cPanel. For the SSL/TLS Manager to be available in cPanel, you will need first purchase a dedicated IP address.

Installing an SSL certificate on cPanel can be easy and painless if you know the right installation procedure. The installation procedure can be broken down into 5 steps. These steps are explained below in detail. Although different cPanel versions have different SSL installation procedures, these cPanel installation instructions should work for most versions. In the case of slight changes, you may ask your web host for assistance.

Step 1: Purchase an SSL certificate

You can get an SSL Certificate from your web host or a third party trusted SSL Certificate provider. If you choose a third party, you have the option of buying an SSL certificate from a trusted Certificate Authority (CA) or a CA certified reseller like ClickSSL.net.

There are many trusted SSL Certificate providers. They offer different types of SSL certificates. The difference is found in the validation type, extra features and other factors both security and non-security. If you are looking for SSL certificate at budgeted price you can buy and install Comodo SSL certificate on your blog.

Step 2: Generate Private Keys

  1. Login to cPanel
  2. In the security section, click on SSL/TLS Manager.
  3. Under Private Keys: Click on Generate, view, upload or delete your private keys.
  4. Under the Generate a New Key: Enter the Host Name or Select the Domain from the list.
  5. Select a Key size from the drop-down menu. A key size of 2048 bits is typically recommended.
  6. Click on Generate Button.
  7. With the private key generated, click on Return to Private Keys. Here you should find listed the key you created.
  8. Click on Return to SSL Manager: Once you have uploaded or generated your private key,

Step 3: Generate CSR

  1. Now Click On Generate a new Certificate Signing Request (CSR):
  2. Fill the Required filed like Host (From drop down option), Country, City, Company & Email etc.
  3. Click on Generate
  4. After the CSR has been generated, you can copy it and provide it to the Certificate Authority from which you are purchasing your SSL certificate.

Step 4: Upload SSL Certificate

You will receive the SSL certificate from your certificate authority (generally in .CRT file extension). Copy the certificate and back to Cpanel and again Click On SSL/TLS Manager.

  1. Click on Certificates (CRT) (Generate, View, Upload, or Delete SSL Certificates)
  2. Paste your certificate information in the Paste your certificate and private key below box and click Save Certificate.
  3. You can also click on Choose File to browse your local computer for the certificate file and then click Upload Certificate.

Step 5: Edit Your site’s URL

Go to your WordPress admin panel, click on settings, go to general settings and change the URL for both WordPress Address and Site Address from HTTP to HTTPS.

Modify your .htaccess file to redirect from HTTP to HTTPS by adding the following code –

<code Start>RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !on [OR]

RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www\.

RewriteRule (.*) https://www.example.com%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]<code End>

SSL Certificate not only protects valuable information on your blog but also helps you to gain ranking benefits in the search engine. When your website displays green padlock with secure text in the browser, it

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