You can secure the Sharp
Portal and
Archiver connection by configuring it in secure HTTP mode (HTTPS) using a certificate that has
been signed by a trusted certificate authority.
Before you begin
- If you already have a certificate installed, you must delete it and then restart the
Sharp.
- Read about why the connection to the Sharp
Portal
should be encrypted.
-
IMPORTANT: If your Security Center version is 5.3 SR3 or higher, if you
want to add the
Sharp unit to the
Archiver using HTTPS, you must modify the Archiver's HTTPS options using the
instructions in the Knowledge Base article
KBA01405.
What you should know
- The first time you log on to the Sharp web
portal, the system logs you on using HTTP mode (no certificate). Your organization's
security policy might require that you configure either a self-signed certificate or
a signed certificate from a trusted certificate authority.
- To install a certificate, the camera must be in HTTP mode and any existing
certificate must be deleted. If a certificate is already installed, you must clear
the Use HTTPS check box in Configuration > Security
settings. After you reboot the camera, you must delete the currently
installed certificate from Configuration > Security
settings.
Procedure
-
Log on to the Sharp web portal as an
Administrator.
-
Click the Configuration page.
-
Under Security settings, click Show
settings.
-
From the Security Settings section, click Create a
certificate signing request...
-
Enter the required information for the certificate.
NOTE:
- The Server name and IP
address are added by default, and will allow you to browse
securely using either the machine name or the IP address.
- You must enter a two-letter Country code. The
remaining fields are optional.
- If you are also using the certificate to connect to the Archiver, the
Server name defined in the certificate must be the
Sharp IP address, not the
Sharp name.
-
Click OK.
The system generates the signing request.
-
From the Security settings window, click Show
request…
-
In the Certificate signing request window, copy the text
string in the Certificate signing request (including the
“----BEGIN NEW CERTIFICATE----”) to your clipboard.
-
Send the Certificate signing request to a certificate authority.
You will receive an SSL certificate signed by the certificate authority.
NOTE: If your certificate authority is not recognized by Windows, when
you log on to the Sharp
Portal, you
will receive a warning saying there is a problem with the website’s security
certificate. You can disregard the warning (rest assured the connection is
encrypted), or install the certificate on the client machine.
-
After you have received the signed certificate, return to the Security
settings window, click Install certificate...,
then select your signed certificate.
If the certificate is successfully installed, you receive the message:
Installation complete. Save the configuration and the reboot the Sharp. Click
OK.
NOTE: The certificate appears in the Security settings
window.

-
Click OK.
-
From the Security settings section in the Sharp portal's
Configuration page, select Use
HTTPS.
-
The message You must reboot the Sharp for the changes to take effect is
displayed. Click OK.
-
Click the Save button at the top of the
Configuration page.
-
A message is displayed confirming that the Plate Reader service will be restarted.
Click OK.
-
Click on the Status page. From the
Actions section, select Reboot Sharp,
and click OK.
-
Log on to the Sharp
Portal using
HTTPS in the address bar instead of HTTP.
A lock icon (

) in the
browser's address bar indicates that you are now logged on to the
Sharp with a secure connection.
After you finish
As a best practice,
change your
password after configuring the
Sharp for
HTTPS communication.