Set up SSL encryption

Encrypt the data passed between FileMaker Server or FileMaker Cloud, FileMaker clients, ODBC and JDBC applications, REST API clients, and OData clients by using SSL technology. An SSL certificate is a data file provided by a certificate authority (CA) that digitally identifies the sender, receiver, or both parties of a secure transaction. SSL certificates are installed on machines running FileMaker applications to provide secure connections between FileMaker Server or FileMaker Cloud and FileMaker clients.

SSL encryption is especially important if clients are accessing your hosted data over the internet. If you do not use encryption, your data may be viewed by software that is monitoring your network.

To enable SSL encryption in FileMaker Server, import a custom SSL certificate. See "Securing your data" in FileMaker Server Help.

Notes 

• Never share the same SSL certificate between a FileMaker Server machine and a machine running less-secure network services—for example, an email server.

• Never use the same private key to generate multiple SSL certificates that are used on different machines—for example, a FileMaker Server and an email server. A successful attack on the email server could compromise all the other certificates that use the same private key.

• In a multiple-machine FileMaker Server deployment, use a Subject Alternative Name (SAN) certificate or a wildcard certificate on the primary and secondary machines. Otherwise, each machine in the deployment requires an SSL certificate that matches its unique hostname.