Online security solutions provider
GlobalSign is helping companies overcome IPv4 shortages by enabling the hosting of multiple SSL Certificates on a single IP. The Belgium-based company, which is also a Certification Authority (CA), has launched a new solution which utilizes Server Name Indication (SNI) technology and a multi-domain certificate to free up IPv4 resources.
Traditionally hosting companies have resold SSL Certificates on dedicated IP addresses. With the number of IPv4 addresses getting fewer, this has placed restrictions on how hosts are able to manage SSL Certificate sales. Server Name Indication (SNI) was established as an SSL and TLS protocols extension to address such issues. It establishes the hostname and allows servers to present multiple certificates on the same IP address and port number, allowing multiple HTTPS websites to be served off the same IP address. Unfortunately, adoption of SNI has not been universal, meaning that secured sites cannot be viewed through certain browsers and operating systems.
To overcome this limitation, GlobalSign's new solution uses SNI in conjunction with GlobalSign CloudSSL technology. Websites are secured with individual SSL Certificates, allowing any type of certificate to be used. In a fully automated process, domains are added to a "multi-domain" CloudSSL Certificate which is accessed by site visitors using systems that do not have SNI compatibility.
"GlobalSign is familiar with the obstacles hosting companies face when it comes to reselling SSL and the impact of the IPv4 shortage on their daily operations", explained GlobalSign's EMEA Business Development Director, Paul van Brouwershaven. "We are dedicated to facilitating the mass deployment of SSL security, and removing the requirement for dedicated IP addresses will be crucial in helping the hosting industry achieve this."
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