Step 1: Obtain a signed certificate

The first step in securing communications using SSL is to obtain a signed certificate.

Two options are available for obtaining a signed certificate:
  1. Use a commercial root certificate authority (CA) such as Comodo or DigiCert. While it might cost more, the process is simpler and the client applications will trust these certificates without requiring additional configuration. See Use a commercial root Certificate of Authenticity.
  2. Be your own root CA. This option is free but requires additional work and configuration. See Be your own root CA.
Obtaining an SSL signed certificate
At the end of the procedure, you must have the following files: