Yes, SSL certificates support revocation. Certificate revocation is a process used when a certificate needs to be invalidated before its expiration date, typically due to a compromise or when the certificate is no longer needed.
There are two main methods of certificate revocation:
Certificate Revocation List (CRL): This is a list of revoked certificates maintained by the Certificate Authority (CA). When a client connects to a server, it can request a CRL from the CA to check if the certificate presented by the server has been revoked.
Example: If a company's SSL certificate is compromised, the CA adds the certificate to its CRL. Clients accessing the company's website will check the CRL during the SSL handshake to ensure the certificate is still valid.
Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP): This is a more real-time method where clients directly query the CA or an OCSP responder to check the status of a certificate.
Example: Instead of downloading and parsing a CRL, a client can send a request to an OCSP responder to verify if a certificate is still valid. This method is more efficient and reduces the latency in checking the certificate status.
In the context of cloud services, platforms like Tencent Cloud offer managed SSL certificate services that handle the complexities of certificate management, including revocation processes. Using such services can simplify the management of SSL certificates and ensure the security of your web applications.