How can I apply for the free SSL certificate from Izenpe?

SSL certificates enable the use of the HTTPS protocol on our websites, thereby guaranteeing safe communication between site users and the server. These certificates are installed in the server that hosts our website and encrypt the information exchanged between said server and users, thus protecting us from some of the most common security hazards, including, for example, man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks.

As well as guaranteeing security, SSL certificates have also become increasingly important since Google started using them as a key search ranking criterion. Websites which do not have an SSL certificate have a poorer search ranking, and their position in search results only worsens over time. Moreover, web browsers have started to post warnings when users access a website that does not support the HTTPS protocol.

Therefore, given both the current and future importance of SSL certificates, Izenpe and the PuntuEUS Foundation offer you the opportunity of acquiring one free of charge for your .EUS domain. Certificates are available on the Izenpe website. To acquire one, follow the steps outlined below:

1 – Set up an account in the Izenpe application.

2 – In order to do this, you will need to provide certain details. Moreover, in the Common name field, you will need to specify the domain name for which you wish to generate a certificate. You do not necessarily have to do this during this step, you can also (if you wish) do it when you request the certificate.

3 – Once you have initiated the session, go to the Certificate Management tab and click on Request certificate.

4 – Here you should enter the information required to issue the certificate. After providing the details of the applicant and the head of the technical department, select the SSL DV option in the Type of certificate list. In the Certificate price field, specify that you are requesting a certificate for the space of one year. In the Certificate data field, enter your .EUS domain name [1]. Finally, in the Technical request field, select the .csr file that you have created in your server. This file contains information about your server that is required by the system in order to generate the SSL certificate. Instructions on how to create this file in different servers are provided here. If you need help creating the file, please contact your hosting provider.

5 – A message will be sent to the email address used to create your account, asking you to confirm your request. A short while after sending this confirmation, you will receive another message telling you that the certificate has been generated.

6 – In the Izenpe application, go to the Certificate Management tab. From here you can download the .cer file which contains the SSL certificate for your domain. Install this file in your server. If you need help activating the certificate, please contact your hosting provider.

[1] Remember that the SSL certificate corresponds to the domain specified in the Domain field; it does not cover sub-domains. In other words, if you enter example.eus, the certificate will not be valid for the www.example.eus domain. You will need to generate a separate certificate specifically for this domain.