Much like any other network application, in order to secure the functionality and safety of Microsoft Exchange Servers, it’s essential to adopt specific certificates. Due to the literally thousands, if not millions, of security threats bombarding your Exchange Server every day, these certificates ensure users have a safe messaging experience while simultaneously safeguarding your data and sensitive information from being intercepted. It’s important to note that as technology changes and adapts so does the type of ceritificates you should implement.
SSL Certificate for Unified Communications
While an SSL Certificate is essential for all websites, when it comes to the unique infrastructure of Microsoft Exchange Server, you must adopt a security certificate capable of safeguarding an entire transaction from beginning-to-end. The SSL Certificate for Unified Communications offers a vast array of security benefits, but perhaps one of the most acclaimed advantages of this certificate is its ability to secure client access for up to 100 various SAN, or Subject Alternative Names. This feature allows you to host various SSL websites on a single Exchange server without requiring multiple IP addresses.
Subject Alternative Names Certificate (SAN)
The Subject Alternative Names certificate allows an SSL certificate to apply to multiple names. For example, an organization must use multiple DNS names. While it’s possible to have SSL certificate security on multiple DNS names, to manipulate the certificate administrators were required to engage in complex customization techniques. The larger the environment, the more complex and time-consuming this process would become. According to the website loadview-testing, this is where a SAN certificate comes into play. When adopted, a SAN certificate offers the flexibility of multi-domain protection without having to manually adjust SSL certificate attributes. Resulting in a significant reduction in time spent dealing with standard SSL certificate manipulation.
How to Establish an SSL Certificate
One of the most common questions asked by administrators revolves around establishing an SSL certificate. While each version of Microsoft Exchange Server differs in how an SSL certificate is applied, the basic steps are universal. However, always refer to the documentation specific to the version of your Exchange. This being noted, common steps to establish an SSL Certificate include:
- Access the built-in SSL Certificate Wizard. This is found in Exchange Server 2010 and newer.
- Once you’ve filled out the necessary information within the wizard, submit a certificate request to a Certificate Authority of your choosing.
- After the request has been processed, install the newly issued certificate directly on the Exchange server.
- Assign the newly installed SSL certificate on all applicable services within the Exchange server.