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I am developing a game for Android.

The customers using the game will have to send their information to a REST web service that, behind the scenes, will be connected to a MySQL database.

I would like to encrypt the data that the client will be transmitting from the app to the web service and I am just wondering what type of SSL certificate I will need for that.

3 Answers 3

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You are not communicating directly with MySQL, you're communicating with REST server (presumably over HTTPS), and therefore need an SSL certificate, not for MySQL, but for your REST API.

If the REST service is your own, then you need to make it SSL-enabled by installing a certificate on the web server that runs it. If it's run by someone else, then they need to do so.

And if it's your service, and only used by your client, then you can (and probably should if you know how) create your own SSL CA to sign the associated certificate, and then code your application to only trust certificates that you sign. This would mean that you don't need to purchase certificates and also means that you can't fall victim to any sort of SSL MITM attack. Bear in mind that you should only go down this route if you really know what you're doing. Otherwise, just purchase a domain-validated certificate like everyone else does.

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The SSL-Cert must be valid for your REST - API and has got nothing to do with MySQL.

just order/create your cert, include it into the server/service that provides your API and you're done.

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If you are going to use self-signed certificate, then it will cause security problems as self-signed certificates create issues of compatibility on web browsers, OS servers, and mobile devices.

I highly recommend that you use third-party Certificate Authority (CA's) to protect your data on the internet.

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