Tony's Tech Terms: SSL certificates

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates are crucial for protecting the privacy of our students when they interact with University web applications. These certificates ensure that any sensitive information shared, such as student records, personal details, or login credentials, is encrypted and kept secure. This encryption makes it extremely difficult for unauthorized individuals to access or intercept the data. You can tell that our web applications are communicating over SSL by looking for the "https" in the URL and the padlock icon next to the website address, indicating that the site is using an SSL certificate.

Beyond protecting data, SSL certificates also help verify the authenticity of our web applications. This means students and staff can trust that they are interacting with official University systems, not a fraudulent or compromised site.

SSL certificates need to be updated periodically. The current standard is to renew them annually, but that standard may change to 90 days in the future. A while back we set up some automation so these certifications are updated automatically each year. We’re well positioned for when the renewal period drops down to 90 days.