How to Find an SSL Certificate Fingerprint?

Are you struggling to find the “SSL Certificate Thumbprints”? If the answer is – affirmative, then this article is just what you need! In this article, you can precisely discover What an SSL Certificate thumbprint or fingerprint is. Why is it important? And the most important part: How do you locate or find the SSL Cert’s Fingerprint/Thumbprint?

What is an SSL Certificate Fingerprint or Thumbprint?

An SSL certificate’s fingerprint is essentially its digital identifier. You can think of it in lay terms like a person’s unique fingerprint. It’s not part of the certificate itself but is – created from it.

A mathematical process called a hash function is used on the certificate’s data to get this fingerprint. This process turns the certificate’s information into a – short, fixed-size string of characters.

Different algorithms can be used for this like – SHA1 or MD5 (which are just different ways of doing the hashing).

The end result is a – “unique set of characters that represent the certificate.” If even a small part of the SSL cert changes, this fingerprint will – “alter completely.” Because of this, these fingerprints or thumbprints are considered a reliable way to check if a certificate is still – valid and hasn’t been altered.

How to Find an SSL Certificate Fingerprints in the Google Chrome Browser?

Follow the steps mentioned below to locate SSL Cert Fingerprints in the Google Chrome Browser:

• Click Search, placed on the taskbar.
• Type Chrome and press Enter.
• The Google Chrome window will appear.
• In the URL bar, type the website’s address.
• Press Enter.
• In the top left of the URL bar, click the – padlock icon (Lock symbol).
• From the list, click Connection is secure.
• From the list, click Certificate is valid.
• The Certificate Viewer window will appear.
• Click on the Details tab.
• Under the Certificate Fields section, scroll down and expand SHA-256 Fingerprints, if needed.
• Click Certificate.
• In the Fixed Value box, the thumbprint value will appear.

How to Find an SSL Certificate Fingerprint in the Mozilla Firefox Browser?

Follow the steps mentioned below to locate SSL Cert Fingerprints in the Mozilla Firefox Browser:

• Click Search, placed on the taskbar.
• Type Firefox and press Enter.
• The Mozilla Firefox window will appear.
• In the URL bar, type the website’s address.
• Press Enter.
• In the top left of the URL bar, click the – padlock icon (Lock symbol).
• In the pop-up dialogue box, click the right arrowhead adjacent to the Connection option.
• The Site Security page will appear.
• Scroll until the end of the Site Security page, and click More Information.
• Click on the Security tab if it’s not selected by default.
• Click the View Certificate button.
• The Certificate Viewer dialogue box will appear.
• The SSL cert’s fingerprints will be displayed at the bottom of the General tab.

How to Find an SSL Certificate Thumbprint in the Microsoft Edge Browser?

Follow the steps mentioned below to locate SSL Cert Fingerprints in the Microsoft Edge Browser:

• Click Search, placed on the taskbar.
• Type Microsoft Edge and press Enter.
• The Microsoft Edge window will appear.
• In the URL bar, type the website’s address.
• Press Enter.
• In the top left of the URL bar, click the View site information icon (Lock or Padlock symbol).
• From the list, click Connection is secure.
• Click the Show certificate icon (near the cross symbol); placed on the right of the Connection is secure option.
• The Certificate Viewer dialogue box will appear.
• Click on the Details tab.
• Under the Certificate Fields section, scroll down and expand SHA-256 Fingerprints, if needed.
• Click Certificate.
• In the Fixed Value box, the thumbprint value will appear.

Conclusion

Finding or locating the fingerprint or thumbprint of an SSL cert is a straightforward process. It can be achieved with just a – few clicks, especially in significant web browsers like – Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, etc.

In this guide, we have walked you through each step, ensuring that even those with minimal technical background can successfully locate the SSL cert thumbprint or fingerprint. By doing so, you can ensure that the cert you are viewing or using has – not been tampered with and is the correct one issued by the – Certificate Authority.

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