A Certificate Signing Request (CSR) is a block of encoded text that an organization submits to a Certificate Authority (CA) to apply for a digital TLS/SSL certificate. It contains information that the CA will use to create your certificate, most importantly your public key. Generating a CSR is a fundamental step in establishing secure communications for your website or service.
Generating a CSR involves several steps, which are typically performed on the server where the private key will reside. The process involves using tools like OpenSSL to create a key pair (a private key and a public key) and then generating the CSR by supplying the necessary information, such as your organization's name, common name (domain name), and other details.
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Common Name (CN) | The fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of your server. This must be accurate. |
| Organization (O) | The legal name of your organization. It should not be abbreviated. |
| Organizational Unit (OU) | The department or division name in your organization. |
When generating a CSR, it is critical to ensure the information you provide is accurate and matches the legal details of your organization. The private key used in the process must be kept secure and confidential. Loss of a private key can compromise the security of your systems.
Properly generating a CSR is the first step toward securing your online presence. Understanding the process and the information required will help ensure a smooth process when working with a Certificate Authority. Always remember to keep your private keys secure.