In the previous post I provided a brief overview of Let's Encrypt, a service (currently in public beta) intending to expand the use of HTTPS by providing free certificates and a client to automate most of the work involved with obtaining, installing and renewing the certificates. In this post I step through the process of using Let's Encrypt to set up HTTPS on this site.

HTTPS is the secure version of the HTTP protocol that is the foundation of web communication between a browser and a web site. An HTTPS connection is an important aspect of any website. HTTPS helps to instill confidence and trust in a website by insuring the privacy, integrity and safety of any interactions a client has with the website. If that is not enough to convince you of the importance of HTTPS consider that Google rewards secure websites with higher rankings.

Until very recently, enabling HTTPS for a website involved an expenditure of money for the certificate and a lot of time spent dealing with the complexity of obtaining, installing, and renewing the certificate.