SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and its successor Transport Layer Security (TLS) are secure protocols that provide security and data integrity for network communication. TLS and SSL encrypt network connections at the transport layer. Websites that enable SSL certificates use encrypted HTTPS connections, which are more secure and can be used to prevent phishing attacks.

WoSign is a domestic certificate authority in China that has been providing free SSL certificate applications. It is good for testing purposes, but if you have larger demands, it is recommended to purchase paid SSL certificates, as you get what you pay for. Now let's take a look at how to apply for a free WoSign SSL certificate.

一、Fill in the relevant information

Open the WoSign free SSL certificate application page: buy.wosign.com/free/#ssl, fill in your domain name, and submit the application.

二、Submit the CSR

If you haven't registered yet, you will be prompted to register a WoSign account (omitted here). If you have already registered and logged in, the next step will be to submit the CSR. Choose method one to generate a CSR by the system, set a certificate protection password, and then submit.

三、Automatic certificate issuance

Wait for the certificate to be successfully issued, then download the certificate to your local computer. Please note that once you click the button to retrieve the certificate, WoSign will delete your certificate file and will not keep a copy. Please make sure to keep the certificate safe.

四、Certificate decompression

The certificate is packaged in a .zip file, which contains five different web server certificates: Nginx, Apache, IIS, Tomcat, and other web servers. The default compression of this file is encrypted. Please unzip the certificates you need based on your own web server, using the password you set in step three.

五、Summary

WoSign's free SSL certificate is suitable for experimentation. Previously, it was only valid for one year, but recently it has been extended to a maximum of two years for free. The available signature algorithms have been reduced to only SHA2 encryption algorithm. If you need to deploy SSL, it is recommended to backup your web configuration files in advance to avoid any errors. There are tutorials available online for configuring various web servers, so I won't go into details here.