Linux · Apache: TLS & Let's Encrypt

A site serves data over plain HTTP and browsers flag it as insecure. What does switching to HTTPS actually add, and why is a CA-issued certificate still needed on top of that?

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More in Apache: TLS & Let's Encrypt

In TLS, which key encrypts and which decrypts, and how do client and server end up sharing one session key without ever transmitting a private key?
Online banking data is transmitted perfectly tap-proof but arrives at a fraudster's server instead of the bank. Which security property did the encryption fail to provide?
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What single command generates a private RSA server key with openssl, and what one permission mistake makes the whole certificate worthless?
Encrypting the server key with a passphrase sounds strictly safer. Why does Apache in practice get an unencrypted copy of the key instead?
You generate a cert with Common Name a-company.com but the site is served at www.a-company.com. What breaks, and what does that tell you about the Common Name field in a CSR?