How to Configure a Visual Intercept Web site as a Secure Site

There is nothing unique about how you configure a Visual Intercept Web site as a secure site. However, if you have considered setting up a secure Visual Intercept Web site and are not sure how to proceed, this month's tech tip lays out all of the steps for you.

There are three basic steps to securing you Visual Intercept Web site under IIS 5.0.

1. Create a Certificate Signing Request
2. Request and Install your Certificate
3. Secure the Visual Intercept Websites

To create a Certificate Signing Request:

1. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) from Administrative Tools or Control Panel.
2. Select your computer name and the web site that you wish to secure.
3. Right-click the site and select Properties.
4. Click the Directory Security tab.
5. Under Secure Communications, click the Server Certificate.
6. When the welcome screen displays, click Next.
7. Select "Create a new certificate". Click Next.
8. Select "Prepare the request now, but send it later". Click Next.
9. Enter Default Web Site for name (or anything you want, i.e. MyServerName) and select a bit length of 1024. Click Next.
10. Enter Authorized Company for Organization (MyCompany, Inc.) and Authorized Unit for Organizational Unit (Quality Assurance Department). Click Next.
11. For common name, enter the web address of your local PC (www.MyDomain.com) if you have one. Or just enter the machine name (especially if you use http://localhost to access your Visual Intercept site). Click Next.
12. Enter your country, state, and city. Click Next.
13. Select where to store the file. Click Next.
14. Again, click Next
15. Click Finish

For more information on certificates see: How Certificates Work

To request and install your Certificate:

1. Find a certificate provider and purchase a SSL certificate. Verisign: www.verisign.com and Thawte: www.thawte.com are two organizations that supply certificates.
2. Save the .cer file you obtain from the certificate provider to a location you can retrieve it from when you install your certificate on the web server.
3. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) from Administrative Tools or Control Panel.
4. Expand your computer name and the web site that you wish to secure.
5. Right-click the site and select Properties.
6. Click the Directory Security tab.
7. Under Secure Communications, click Server Certificate.
8. After welcome screen displays, click Next.
9. Select "Process the pending request and install the certificate". Click Next.
10. Select your .cer file from the desktop (localhost.cer). Click Next.
11. Verify that your information is correct. Click Next.
12. Click Finish.

To secure the Visual Intercept Websites:

1. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) from Administrative Tools or Control Panel.
2. Navigate to the Visual Intercept Website you want to secure.
3. Right mouse click on the website and select Properties.
4. Select the Directory Security tab.
5. In the Secure Communications section, click Edit.
6. Check the "Require secure channel (SSL)" option.
7. Click OK.
8. Click Apply.
9. Click OK.

Open a browser and attempt to go to the site as you used to: http://MyServer/VIWebDev Notice you are prompted to enter a s in the browser indicating a secured site. Change the URL to the following: https://MyServer/VIWebDev You should be able to log in securely now.

If you have other questions about issues not included in or beyond the scope of this Tech Tip, please contact Elsinore Technical Support Services at or 866.866.0034, option 2.