Connecting to MySQL with .NET Connector and SSL. Does it need a client certificate?

Question

I am considering establishing an encrypted connection from a .NET app toward a remote MySQL database. According to the manual, there is a SSL Mode option to do that. The example provided in the tutorial rely on a client X509 certificate. Is the client certificate absolutely needed, or can I just connect with SSL Mode=Required and a login/password in the connection string?

Answer 1

SSL always implies having certificate at least on one side of the connection. If your set-up is not critical you can use either self signed certificate or better get one for free from cacert.org