Importance of SSL/HTTPS for Security and SEO

SSL and its successor, HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure), are essential technologies for protecting websites and web applications. When implemented properly, SSL/HTTPS encrypts communication between browser and web server preventing sensitive information such as login credentials, personal details and credit card data from being intercepted by third parties.

Beyond security, SSL/HTTPS configuration also has a significant effect on search engine optimization (SEO). Google has recognized the significance of HTTPS connections by awarding HTTPS websites a slight ranking boost versus their non-HTTP counterparts in search results. Furthermore, as users become more security conscious Google is gradually marking non-HTTPS pages as “not secure”, encouraging more adoption of HTTPS through gradual notification to visitors of such content being “not secure”

Due to security and SEO implications, all websites should make every attempt at migrating from HTTP to HTTPS as soon as possible. Even sites without sensitive user data can benefit from SSL/HTTPS’ privacy protections and SEO boost.

Benefits of an SSL Configuration Checker

Transitioning a website from HTTP to HTTPS can be tricky. Aside from procuring an SSL/TLS certificate from a trusted certificate authority (CA), proper configuration must also take place so as to utilize encryption and redirect HTTP requests over to HTTPS.

Configuration checkers and testing tools can streamline the process of verifying that SSL/HTTPS settings are accurate before going live, saving time by eliminating manual reviews across multiple platforms. An SSL checker will scan your site to detect potential misconfigurations or issues such as:

Issues associated with invalid or expired SSL certificates, mixed HTTP/HTTPS content, insecure redirects, weak ciphers and protocols and domain name mismatches
Running pre-launch checks is essential to uncovering any set-up issues that might otherwise go undetected, allowing you to proactively address and rectify issues for maximum site functionality and user protection.

Rerunning checks after making updates to SSL certificates or server settings is also advised; an SSL checker can quickly validate that any modifications were applied correctly without impacting security.

Capabilities of SSL/HTTPS Testing Tools

SSL checkers evaluate your HTTPS implementation against best practices and test criteria to identify any missteps, and can detect potential security flaws. Leading tools offer inspection capabilities such as:

Certificate Validity: Confirm that the SSL certificate is genuine and signed by an authoritative entity, with subject names matching those expected of your website domain name. Check its expiration date to avoid disruptions in service.

Protocol support: Assess which versions of SSL/TLS protocol are supported, disabling older insecure ones like SSLv2/SSLv3 as soon as they appear.

Inspection: Examine the key exchange mechanism and encryption algorithms/ciphers agreed upon between you and the server. Weaker algorithms may need to be disabled.

Key Size: Confirm that public/private keys meet minimum size recommendations (2048 bits or higher today).

Chain of Trust: Verify that the installed certificate links back to a trusted root CA certificate properly.

Revocation Status: Before using your certificate, check Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs). This ensures it has not been cancelled by authorities.

Missmatch in Names: Verify that the domain name requested matches one or both of the certificate Common Name (CN) or Subject Alternative Name (SAN) fields.

Mixed Contents: Look out for insecure HTTP resources loaded onto HTTPS pages (mixed content) which compromise the protections.

SSL checkers go beyond just inspecting certificates to examine how HTTPS is implemented on live websites, typically checking whether:

Validates HTTP to HTTPS redirection: Validates that all HTTP requests are being redirected from HTTP to HTTPS by the server.

HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS): Checks for headers that enforce HTTPS use and enforce it using HSTS headers.

Content Security Policy (CSP): Inspects CSP headers to guard against cross-site scripting attacks.

Advanced tools offer deeper investigations, such as checking for Heartbleed OpenSSL vulnerabilities or CAA records to provide greater visibility across SSL configuration and deployment.

Step-by-Step Guide to Assessing SSL Setup

An organized approach to inspecting SSL implementation will help ensure all bases are covered. Consider these steps with your preferred SSL checker tool:

1. Configure testing: Enter the domain name and choose whether to follow redirects, forgo downtime checks or enable stealth mode to prevent log logging.
2. Verify Certificate Validity: Conduct a detailed investigation on who issued, expired and issued this certificate, its key size, matching details, revocation status, chain length and chain status of this particular chain certificate chain.
3. Review Protocols and Cipher Suites: Take note of which SSL/TLS versions and encryption protocols your server supports and disable any outdated ones.
4. Examine Redirection Issues: Confirm all HTTP URLs are properly redirecting to HTTPS without broken links, in a timely fashion.

5. Analyse Web Content: Verify HTTPS pages do not reference insecure HTTP content and scripts which could trigger mixed content warnings.

6. Examine Headers: For enhanced protections, inspect HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) and Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to increase protections.
7. Verify Fixes and Modifications: Once any configuration issues have been addressed, conduct another scan in order to validate corrections made.
8. Compare to Benchmarks: Examine summary grades and metrics against SSL deployment best practices.
9. Share Technical Reports to Document Increased Security Position

Follow these steps and you will gain comprehensive insights into your SSL implementation, providing guidance for operational improvements.

Confirm Certificate Validity and Status

Verifying certificate validity and status are an integral component of auditing SSL configuration on websites, as this certificate serves as the cornerstone of secure HTTPS communication.

Key details to check when reviewing a certificate include:

Issuer: For maximum authenticity and legitimacy, certificates issued from an established certificate authority should be sought out and considered carefully before being accepted or presented for acceptance. Self-signed certificates require additional consideration.

Subject Names: For best results, domain names listed as either common names (CN) or subject alternative names (SAN) should correspond with your website domain.

Validity Period: Confirm that your certificate has not expired; most certificates typically last one or two years before renewal is necessary.

Key Size: To ensure adequate encryption strength, look for keys with at least 2048 bits for RSA certificates and 256 bits for ECDSA certificates. This should provide sufficient encryption strength.

Key Algorithm: When creating public key algorithms, secure methods like RSA or ECDSA should be utilized instead of weak ones such as MD2, MD4, or MD5 which have proven insecure.