What Is RapidSSL RSA CA 2018?

Let’s get underneath the surface of RapidSSL RSA CA 2018 intermediate certificate

If you came here looking for an answer to the question “what is RapidSSL RSA CA 2018?” then you’re not going to find the answer in this post. Okay, we’re kidding. Of course, we’re going to talk about what RapidSSL RSA CA 2018 is and how it works. RapidSSL RSA CA 2018 certificate is an intermediate certificate issued by RapidSSL CA (owned by DigiCert). It links the root certificate of RapidSSL and your SSL certificate.

But before we dive into the details, you must first understand the term “intermediate certificate.” Why? Well, because that’s what RapidSSL RSA CA 2018 is. And without understanding RapidSSL intermediate certificate (or any intermediate certificate for that matter), you won’t be able to comprehend RapidSSL RSA CA 2018.

So, let’s get started (you should probably consider rolling up your sleeves).

First, a simple how to:

How To Get A RapidSSL RSA CA 2018 Certificate For Your Website

If you see an SSL certificate on a website that says it’s issued by RapidSSL RSA CA 2018, that just means the website is using a certificate issued by RapidSSL:

If you want a similar SSL certificate for your website, you can get a RapidSSL certificate here:

Now let’s get into the details…

RapidSSL Intermediate Certificate: What is it?

As you know, RapidSSL is the name of the certificate authority that conducts verification processes and issues SSL/TLS certificates. In other words, it gives the assurance to everyday users that your website belongs to the entity that it says it belongs to. However, installing an SSL certificate is not where this all stops as the browsers must verify the legitimacy of the SSL certificates, and the certificate authority (RapidSSL) must be able to prove it to the browsers. To do so, certificate authorities (CAs) are supposed to sign their certificates digitally. 

Applying the digital signature directly from the root certificates and then issuing them can be quite dangerous. That’s why RapidSSL (and all other CAs) issues “intermediate root certificates.” RapidSSL’s own private key signs these certificates, thus carrying its legitimacy. RapidSSL, then, signs the end-user web server SSL certificate with the private key of the intermediate certificate. Therefore, it kind of for ms a chain, and it’s called the “chain of trust.” Here’s a pictorial representation:

At their core, RapidSSL Intermediate certificates are certificates that link the RapidSSL root certificates with the end-user SSL certificates that you install on your web server. But, you must note that you need install the intermediate certificate along with the end-user SSL certificate. If you don’t, the browsers won’t be able to verify your SSL certificate, and it’ll result in a security warning to the end-users.

RapidSSL RSA CA 2018: Intermediate Certificate by DigiCert

Now let’s get on to the topic you’re here for. The RapidSSL RSA CA 2018 certificate is an intermediate certificate issued by RapidSSL CA (owned by DigiCert). As we saw in the above section, RapidSSL RSA CA 2018 acts as the inter-link between RapidSSL and your SSL certificate. The “RSA” in its name stands for the digital signature algorithm it works on.

So, when you want to install a RapidSSL certificate that’s been based on the RapidSSL RSA CA 2018 intermediate certificate, you’re should also install the RapidSSL RSA CA 2018 intermediate certificate sent to you by RapidSSL. We hope we helped you get things cleared.