Method for domain control validation
View Patent ↗A system and method for domain control validation is presented. At a certificate authority a request is received. The request includes a certificate signing request and a first Internet protocol address. The certificate signing request identifies a domain and a certificate. A second Internet protocol address for the domain is retrieved from a domain name system. When the first Internet protocol address is the same as the second Internet protocol address, the certificate is signed, and the signed certificate is transmitted to a requester of the request. When the first Internet protocol address is not the same as the second Internet protocol address, the certificate signing request is rejected.
1. A method, comprising:
providing, by a web hosting provider, an administrative interface for a hosted account, the hosted account being associated with a domain and a hosted website for the domain, the hosted website being hosted by the web hosting provider;
authenticating a user to use the administrative interface, wherein authenticating the user includes receiving at least one of a password and a temporary token from the user;
receiving, by the web hosting provider via the administrative interface and from the user, a request for a security certificate for the hosted website;
generating, by the web hosting provider, a certificate signing request for the hosted website, the certificate signing request identifying the domain;
determining, by the web hosting provider, an Internet protocol address for the hosted website of the domain;
transmitting, by the web hosting provider, the certificate signing request and the Internet protocol address to a certificate authority, wherein the certificate authority and the web hosting provider have a pre-established trusted relationship; and
receiving, by the web hosting provider, a response to the certificate signing request from the certificate authority.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the certificate signing request includes retrieving records from a customer database.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the certificate signing request includes prompting a user to provide information using a user interface.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the certificate authority and the web hosting provider are the same entity.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the certificate authority and the web hosting provider are different entities.
6. The method of claim 1 , including:
determining whether the hosted website is accessible by a plurality of Internet protocol addresses; and
when the hosted website is accessible by a plurality of Internet protocol addresses, transmitting the plurality of Internet protocol addresses to the certificate authority.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving a response to the certificate signing request from the certificate authority includes receiving a signed certificate from the certificate authority.
8. A system, comprising:
a server computer communicatively coupled to a communications network and configured to perform the steps of:
providing, by a web hosting provider, an administrative interface for a hosted account, the hosted account being associated with a domain and a hosted website for the domain, the hosted website being hosted by the web hosting provider;
authenticate a user to use the administrative interface wherein authenticating the user includes receiving at least one of a password and a temporary token from the user;
receiving, by the web hosting provider via the administrative interface from the user, a request for a security certificate for the hosted website;
generating, by the web hosting provider, a certificate signing request for the hosted website, the certificate signing request identifying the domain;
determining, by the web hosting provider, an Internet protocol address for the hosted website of the domain;
transmitting, by the web hosting provider, the certificate signing request and the Internet protocol address to a certificate authority, wherein the certificate authority and the web hosting provider have a pre-established trusted relationship; and
receiving, by the web hosting provider, a response to the certificate signing request from the certificate authority.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein generating the certificate signing request includes retrieving records from a customer database.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the certificate authority and the web hosting provider are the same entity.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the server computer is configured to perform the steps of:
determining whether the hosted website is accessible by a plurality of Internet protocol addresses; and
when the hosted website is accessible by a plurality of Internet protocol addresses, transmitting the plurality of Internet protocol addresses to the certificate authority.
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein receiving a response to the certificate signing request from the certificate authority includes receiving a signed certificate from the certificate authority.