General security questions - SSL etc.

[UncleSteve]

Hi,

 

Please keep it simple as I'm very much a beginner.

 

I've been trying various contribs etc. Some have worked :) some have come to a stop because of lack of knowledge and brick walls :(

 

Anyway.

 

My hosting company offers free secure (SSL) webspace, they also offer a 128 Bit Certificate at an additional cost. I'm wanting to process payments to PayPal, then move over to payments through a uk bank.

 

Without going over my head, what do I need to do with my installation of OsC to make use of the free secure webspace, and do I also need to have a 128 Bit Certificate?

 

Thanks in advance of any help :)

 

Steve

[Jack_mcs]

The free certificate is probably 128 also so that is not a consideration. Using a shared ssl is fine and works the same as if you had a private one except that the url will have your hosts server or certifcate name in it. Some people filnd this unprofessional and opt to spend the $20/year for their own certificate. It doesn't bother others. In either case, you should be using an ssl so you are doing the right thing in adding one.

 

To use your hosts ssl, you need to edit your includes/configure.php file. The first few lines have a place for the secure url.You will need to get this from your host since it varies from host to host. You also need to enable the ssl by setting the value there from false to true.

 

Jack