Dell 7130cdn Color Laser Printer - Manual (Page 39)

Security Features
Dell 7130cdn Professional Color Printer
System Administrator Guide
39
Before using HTTPS, you must set up a certificate and select when to use SSL to encrypt data.
You can set the printer to use SSL either to secure Web pages that use passwords or to secure
all Web pages.
See also:
Certificates on page 39
Managing Certificates on page 42
Configuring SSL on page 43
Certificates
A certificate is an electronic message containing information about the printer and a digital
signature.
Before configuring passwords, set up a certificate and then configure SSL to encrypt data,
including passwords, for maximum security. You can set up a self-signed certificate or download
a root-signed certificate, depending on your requirements.
Device Certificates
A device certificate is stored in the printer and is used to validate the identity of the printer to
clients and network servers and to allow encrypted communication. If you do not install a device
certificate signed by a Certificate Authority (CA), a default self-signed device certificate is
automatically established on the printer when it is needed. A CA signed device certificate is
needed to log into the network when using 802.1X EAP authentication with TLS.
Self-Signed Certificates
Setting up a self-signed certificate is a quick and easy way to establish a certificate on the printer.
The printer automatically generates a default self-signed certificate when the printer is turned on
for the first time. To modify the certificate so it is specific to your printer, use the EWS to enter
information about the location of the printer.
While self-signed certificates are safe for most applications and allow data encryption, they do not
ensure valid authentication. Self-signed certificates are not necessarily secure because the
certificate owner is only confirming his own identify instead of verification by a trusted third party.
Although self-signed certificates encrypt the data that is exchanged, they do not prevent man-in-
the-middle attacks.
If you want to use HTTPS, each printer must have a unique certificate that is accepted by each
browser used to access the printer. This allows the printer Web server to use HTTPS and encrypt
data between the Web browser and the printer. In addition, because each printer’s certificate is
unique, you must load a different certificate into the browser for each printer the browser will
access.