This Know-How article will discuss when the default Ahsay dummy / self-signed certificate is acceptable to be used in business.

The Ahsay dummy / self-signed certificate which is bundled with every AhsayCBS installation by default, is a handy tool to have, but using it for a production backup server could be a big mistake.

Here's when it makes sense and when it doesn't.

For a public facing backup server

For any public facing backup server (WAN environment), it is never a good idea to deploy your AhsayCBS with the default Ahsay dummy / self-signed certificate. That is, even if you have never suffered a security / cryptographic attack of any sorts, you must put forth a very trustworthy front for your customers, as the slightest security misstep could be catastrophic to your company's image.

Does this look like a trustworthy website to you?

While the default Ahsay dummy / self-signed certificate also encrypt customers' data and other account credentials, most browsers such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox will display a security alert because the default Ahsay dummy / self-signed certificate was not verified by a trusted Certificate Authority.

The security warnings associated with the default Ahsay dummy / self-signed certificate may drive away potential customers with fear that the website does not secure their credentials and data. Both brand reputation and customer trust are damaged.

For an internal facing backup server

For internal backup server (LAN environment), the default Ahsay dummy / self-signed certificate should only be used on a temporary phase (e.g. proof of concept phase) or for testing purposes.

Many organizations advise internal users to simply ignore the warnings, since they know the internal web console is safe, but this could encourage dangerous public browsing behavior. Internal users accustomed to ignoring warnings on internal sites may be inclined to ignore warnings on public sites as well, leaving them, and your organization, vulnerable to malware and other threats (e.g. open to man-in-the-middle attacks).

To conclude, the simple fact is, the default Ahsay dummy / self-signed certificate should only be used for temporary internal LAN-only services, or for testing purposes.

For any other setup, it is strongly recommended to install a trusted SSL certificate for your backup service.