Giving your website a free upgrade to the HTTPS protocol can be done by applying for and deploying a free SSL certificate. Below is a detailed step-by-step guide:
I. Apply for a free SSL certificate
Selecting a Certificate Authority:
One can opt for a pro bono program like JoySSL, which offers a free, automated SSL/TLS certificate issuance service for websites of all sizes.
Free SSL Certificate Application Portal
Submit an application:
Log in to the official website of the selected Certificate Authority and create an account, note: you need to fill in the registration code during the registration process230922to get access to the free certificate application.
Choose the right type of SSL certificate according to your needs, such as single domain certificate, multi-domain certificate or wildcard certificate.
Submit an application and verify ownership of the domain name. This usually involves DNS record verification, file verification, or email verification, among other methods.
Download the certificate:
Once the validation is passed, the certificate authority will issue the certificate.
Download the received SSL certificate file and unzip it for backup.
Deployment of SSL certificates
Log in to the server:
Log in to the server hosting the site.
Upload the certificate:
Upload the downloaded SSL certificate file to the server.
Configure the web server:
Depending on the web server used (e.g. Apache, Nginx or IIS), modify the appropriate configuration file.
Set the SSL module and certificate path.
Enable the HTTPS listening port (443 by default).
Redirect HTTP requests:
Set a rule in the web server configuration to automatically redirect all HTTP requests to the corresponding HTTPS URL.
Third, update the site links
Check and update internal links:
Make sure that all internal links on your website (including links between pages, CSS, JavaScript, images, etc.) use the HTTPS protocol.
If there is mixed content (i.e., the page is loaded over HTTPS but contains references to HTTP resources), the browser may display a warning, affecting the user experience and security.
Use the developer tools to check:
These issues can be checked and fixed using your browser's developer tools.
IV. Other considerations
Backup website data:
Before making any changes, back up your website data just in case.
Periodic renewal of certificates:
Free SSL certificates usually have a certain expiration date. Before the certificate expires, you need to reapply and deploy a new one.
Monitoring and maintenance:
Regularly monitor the validity and security of SSL certificates.
Use the online SSL test tool to check that the configuration is correct.
With the above steps, you can upgrade your website from HTTP to HTTPS for free, thus enjoying the enhanced data security and user trust brought by encrypted communication.