While SSL certificates provide encryption for your business's online presence, they are not cheap. This makes the ability to transfer SSL certificates that you -- or a company you may have recently acquired -- have already bought and paid for important. While transferring certificates between servers for the same website and organization can be simple, transfers that involve different websites or organization names can require getting the certificate re-issued or buying a new certificate altogether.
SSL Data
An SSL certificate is not just a public cryptographic key signed by a Certificate Authority. It also contains data that binds the key to a specific organization and a specific domain address. These pieces of information assure your visitors that your website isn't just a front set up by a hacker. However, they are also the pieces of data that complicate the process of transferring certificates when it comes to changing website addresses or an organization's name.
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Transferring Between Domains
Because SSL certificates are tied to specific domain names, you cannot simply transfer an SSL certificate you registered with one domain name to a server for a different domain name. Even if you keep the same server but change domain names, the certificate will still not work. Depending on the SSL certification authority you use, you may be able to request that the company re-issue your SSL certificate with a different domain name. The cost or ability to do this varies from service to service, and results in the service invalidating the old SSL certificate. If the certificate provider does not offer this service, you have to purchase new SSL certificates for the new domain name.
Transferring Between Companies
The fact that SSL certificates are tied to an organization's name becomes relevant if your company wants to change its name, or if it acquires another company with websites and SSL certificates. If your company plans to keep the organization running in its current form and under its current name, you don't have to change anything about its SSL certificates. If you want to change your company name, or are absorbing a company you bought under your business's name, you have to look into the certificate provider's options for re-issuing the certificates under a different company name. If the certificate provider does not offer this service, you have to buy new certificates under the new name.
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Transferring Between Servers
If you are simply looking to transfer SSL certificates between servers, while continuing to use the same organizational name and domain, you can do so if the servers use the same software -- if the servers use the same operating system and certificate management software, you can simply transfer the certificate. If the operating system or software differs, however, you have to ask the certificate provider to "re-key" your SSL certificate so that it works with the new server's software configuration. This generally involves generating a certificate signing request from the new server for your certificate provider. Consult your provider's documentation for detailed technical instructions on submitting the request.
