Moving from SHA1 to SHA256
23 September 2014
As you probably have (not) heard one of the cryptographic algorithms used to encrypt your browser connection to secure websites SHA1 is now no longer considered secure.
If you have a website with SSL (for E-commerce or other purposes) it almost certainly uses the SHA1 hashing function.
Starting next month some versions of the Chrome web browser from Google will show a warning to visitors that your website is not 100% secure. Other browser will be taking similar steps in 2015 or 2016, but Chrome is the first.
The solution is to replace your SSL certificate with one generated using the SHA256 hashing function. With Thawte and other certificate vendors this is just a matter of applying for a replacement certificate which we can then install for you.
If your certificate is up for renewal in the next few months we will provide you with a CSR using SHA256 and you will need to select SHA256 during the application process when you renew.
If your certificate uses SHA1 (which you can test for here) and is set to expire on or after 1 July 2015 we recommend replacing it now.