Let's Encrypt: Free SSL Certificates for Everyone

Let’s Encrypt opens its public beta and offers automated, free TLS certificates. HTTPS is becoming the standard — how to migrate and why there’s no reason to delay.

The End of the Paid Certificate Era¶

Let’s Encrypt, a project by the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG) backed by the EFF, Mozilla, and others, launched its public beta in December 2015. The goal is simple: every website should run on HTTPS.

Until now, an SSL certificate cost tens to hundreds of dollars per year and required manual renewal. Let’s Encrypt automates the entire process — you obtain a certificate with a single command and renewal runs in the background.

How the ACME Protocol Works¶

Let’s Encrypt uses the open ACME (Automatic Certificate Management Environment) protocol for automated domain validation:

# Certbot — official ACME client
sudo certbot --nginx -d example.com -d www.example.com

# Automatic renewal
sudo certbot renew --dry-run

Validation is performed via an HTTP-01 challenge (a file on the server) or a DNS-01 challenge (a TXT record). Certificates are valid for 90 days with automatic renewal.

Why HTTPS Everywhere¶

The reasons for HTTPS go beyond security:

• SEO — Google favors HTTPS sites in search results
• Trust — browsers mark HTTP pages as insecure
• HTTP/2 — the modern protocol requires TLS
• Integrity — protection against man-in-the-middle attacks and content injection
• Modern APIs — Service Workers, Geolocation, and other APIs require a secure context

Migrating to HTTPS: A Practical Checklist¶

For a smooth migration:

• Update all internal links to HTTPS
• Set up 301 redirects from HTTP to HTTPS
• Update canonical URLs and sitemaps
• Check for mixed content (HTTP resources on an HTTPS page)
• Add an HSTS header to enforce HTTPS
• Update Google Search Console and Analytics

Conclusion: HTTPS Is the New Standard¶

Let’s Encrypt has removed the last excuse for not using HTTPS. With free certificates and automated management, there is no reason to run any website without encryption. Migrate today — not only for security, but for SEO, performance, and user trust.