The support team here at FileCatalyst team polled our customers who are using FileCatalyst Central v3.6 and asked what type of improvements they would like to see in our next release of Central. Security was a topic of interest to our customers, and they were asking us about the things we are doing in terms of security. With this in mind, we have taken steps with SSL that has secured our software even further! Let’s Talk SSL! Before we dive right into what we have done with SSL, let’s go over what it actually is. Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL, is a standard security technology that establishes an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. It was originally adopted by Netscape in 1994 as a response to the growing concern over internet security. It has since been used by millions of websites to protect their transactions and other sensitive information. This encrypted link between the web server and browser ensures that all data passed between the two points are private and integral.
To create an SSL connection, a web server requires an SSL Certificate. When you decide to activate SSL on your web server, you will be prompted to complete a number of questions about the identity of your website and your company. After it is filled, your web server generates two cryptographic keys – a private and a public. The SSL protocol is invisible to customers, but their browsers provide a key indicator that tells them they are currently protected by an SSL encrypted session. We have all seen the “lock icon” in the upper left-hand corner, as well as HTTPS, which indicates a secure connection. Clicking on the lock icon show you more details about your SSL Certificate.
Why is SSL So Beneficial, and to Whom?
Monetary transactions benefit greatly from an SSL connection because it keeps sensitive information sent across the Internet encrypted – only the intended recipient can understand it. Without this encryption, any computer in between you and the destination server can see your credit card numbers, usernames, passwords and any other sensitive information if not encrypted with an SSL Certificate. It also ensures that your information is sent to the right server and not to any impostors trying to steal your valuable information.
FileCatalyst Central 3.7 + SSL = Secure, Reliable Transfers. Every time.
We have given users the ability to bring their own Trusted SSL Certificate and import it into their FileCatalyst deployment! If you do not have a Trusted SSL Certificate purchased but would still like to enable secure connections to FileCatalyst Central (HTTPS), we also added the ability to import a self-signed SSL Certificate into your deployment!
We have an article that will walk you through the steps to do this; from creating a Certificate Signing Request and purchasing your Trusted Certificate, to installing it on your deployment. To view the steps in detail, visit our Support Portal Knowledgebase.