Secure sockets communication
can be configured using a signed certificate or a self-signed certificate.
A signed certificate is an authorized certificate that is issued by
a trustworthy certificate authority. A self-signed certificate is
signed by the same entity whose identity it certifies. Both a signed
and self-signed certificate will encrypt data communication. Using
a signed certificate authority tells a customer the server information
has been verified by a trusted store.
Self-signed certificates are useful for testing secure communication. They are adequate
for production use in cases where encryption of the data is required, but authorization
of access to the network is not required. In many installations,
SPD Server is installed on an internal company network where only encryption is needed. For
these cases, a self-signed certificate can be used to satisfy secure requirements.