Enabling HTTPS with Let's Encrypt
Secure your web server with free TLS certificates from Let's Encrypt. Install Certbot, obtain and auto-renew certificates, and configure Nginx or Apache to serve traffic over HTTPS with HTTP redirects.
Why HTTPS Is Non-Negotiable
You can host sites and configure virtual hosts — but serving them over plain HTTP exposes traffic to eavesdropping and tampering. Browsers now flag HTTP sites as 'Not Secure'.
HTTPS encrypts traffic using a TLS certificate. Thanks to Let's Encrypt, these certificates are free and automated.
How Let's Encrypt Works
Let's Encrypt is a certificate authority that issues short-lived (90-day) certificates for free. To prove you control a domain, it uses the ACME protocol with an automated challenge.
A client called Certbot handles requesting, installing, and renewing certificates for you.
All lessons in this course
- Installing Nginx/Apache
- Hosting Static Websites
- Basic Virtual Host Configuration
- Enabling HTTPS with Let's Encrypt