Blog Post

What is Let’s Encrypt?

Let’s Encrypt is a non-profit Certificate Authority launched in April 2016. It provides free SSL/TLS certificates through an automated process designed to eliminate the complex manual steps required by most other CAs. Here are some key features of Let’s Encrypt:

• Free of Charge: Obtain SSL certificates at no cost.
• Automatic: Automatic issuance and renewal of certificates.
• Secure: Follows modern security standards.
• Transparent: Publicly records all issued certificates.
• Open: Driven by a community of developers and supported by major organizations.
• Cooperative: Works in collaboration with web hosting companies and other entities to provide certificates seamlessly.

Why Use Let’s Encrypt?

Cost-Effective

One of the primary reasons to use Let’s Encrypt is that it’s completely free. Traditional SSL certificates can be costly, especially for small businesses or personal websites. With Let’s Encrypt, there are no financial barriers to securing your site.

Easy to Use

Let’s Encrypt is designed to be user-friendly. The process of obtaining and renewing certificates is automated, reducing the technical burden on website owners.

Improved SEO and Trust

Websites with SSL certificates are favored by search engines, leading to better SEO rankings. Additionally, visitors trust websites that display the padlock symbol in the browser’s address bar, knowing their data is secure. How to Obtain a Let’s Encrypt Certificate

Step 1: Install Certbot

Certbot is an easy-to-use client that fetches and deploys SSL/TLS certificates for your web server. To install Certbot, you need to access your server via SSH. The installation command varies based on your operating system. Here’s an example for Ubuntu:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install certbot python3-certbot-nginx

Step 2: Obtain the Certificate

Once Certbot is installed, you can obtain the SSL certificate by running the following command, replacing yourdomain.com with your actual domain name

sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com -d www.yourdomain.com

Certbot will automatically configure your web server and obtain the certificate.

Step 3: Renew the Certificate

Let’s Encrypt certificates are valid for 90 days. However, Certbot can automatically renew your certificates. To ensure this happens, you can set up a cron job:

sudo crontab -e

Add the following line to the crontab file:

0 0,12  * /usr/bin/certbot renew --quiet

This cron job runs the renewal process twice daily.

Implementing SSL certificates on your website is no longer a costly or complicated process thanks to Let’s Encrypt. With its free, automated, and secure approach, Let’s Encrypt makes it easy for anyone to protect their website and enhance their online credibility. Secure your website today by using Let’s Encrypt and enjoy the benefits of improved security, trust, and SEO ranking.