HTTPS and SSL Certificates

Why HTTPS Matters

• Encrypts data between client and server
• Prevents man-in-the-middle attacks
• Builds user trust
• Required for SEO (Google ranks HTTPS higher)
• Required for modern web features

Setting up HTTPS in ASP.NET Core

1. Development Environment

// Program.cs
var app = builder.Build();

if (!app.Environment.IsDevelopment())
{
    app.UseHsts();
}

app.UseHttpsRedirection();

2. HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security)

// Program.cs
app.UseHsts();

// Configure HSTS options
builder.Services.AddHsts(options =>
{
    options.MaxAge = TimeSpan.FromDays(365);
    options.IncludeSubDomains = true;
    options.Preload = true;
});

3. Free SSL Certificates (Let's Encrypt)

// Install Certbot from https://certbot.eff.org/

# For Windows
certbot certonly --standalone -d yourdomain.com

# For Linux
sudo certbot certonly --standalone -d yourdomain.com

// In Program.cs
builder.WebHost.ConfigureKestrel(options =>
{
    options.Listen(IPAddress.Any, 80);
    options.Listen(IPAddress.Any, 443, listenOptions =>
    {
        listenOptions.UseHttps("/path/to/certificate.pfx", "password");
    });
});

4. Azure SSL (Free)

// Azure App Service
1. Go to App Service → TLS/SSL settings
2. Click "Add TLS/SSL binding"
3. Choose "App Service Managed Certificate" (Free)
4. Configure domain and binding