How to Enable HTTPS on Your Domain Hosted on a Linux VPS

Securing your website with HTTPS is crucial for protecting user data and improving SEO. This guide will walk you through the process of obtaining and installing a free SSL certificate using Let's Encrypt and Certbot.

1. Connect to Your Remote Server via SSH

ssh -p PORT USERNAME@HOSTIP
# Example:
ssh -p 22 root@216.32.44.12
        

2. Install Certbot and the Apache Plugin

            
sudo apt update && sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache
        

Certbot is an open-source tool designed to automate the installation and renewal of SSL certificates, while the python3-certbot-apache plugin enables integration with the Apache web server.

3. Verify Open Ports on Your Firewall

            
sudo ufw status verbose
        

Ensure that HTTP (port 80) and HTTPS (port 443) are allowed through your firewall to facilitate web traffic.

4. Obtain Your SSL Certificate

            
sudo certbot --apache
        

This command will initiate the process to obtain an SSL certificate. Follow the prompts to configure your certificate settings.

5. Check Certbot's Status

            
systemctl status certbot.timer
        

This command will show whether the Certbot service is running correctly.

6. Test Automatic Renewal

            
sudo certbot renew --dry-run
        

Running a dry run simulates the renewal process to ensure everything is set up correctly.

7. Additional Best Practices

• Keep Your System Updated: Regularly update your packages to enhance security:

               
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
            

• Set Up a Cron Job for Automatic Renewal: Ensure your SSL certificate is always up to date by scheduling automatic renewals:

                
echo "0 0 * * * root certbot renew --quiet" | sudo tee -a /etc/crontab
            

• Enhance Security with HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS): After ensuring your site is functioning correctly over HTTPS, consider enabling HSTS for additional protection:

                
echo "Header always set Strict-Transport-Security \"max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload\"" | sudo tee -a /etc/apache2/apache2.conf
            

8. Troubleshooting Tips

If you encounter issues, check the logs for detailed error messages:

            
sudo journalctl -u certbot
        

Additionally, ensure that your DNS records are correctly pointing to your server.