Is your website safe and reliable? Can people, who visit your website, carry on transactions safely without being paranoid about any loss they could potentially suffer?
Ask yourself these questions and if your answer is negative, then here’s some insight. SSL Certificate is what you require. An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates the identity of a website and allows for an encrypted connection.
You’re not alone if you’ve ever wondered what the difference between HTTP and HTTPS is when browsing the internet. And trust me when I ensure you that it isn’t as complicated as you may assume it to be.
The “S” in HTTPS stands for Security, and it refers to the SSL Certificate obtained when you register a website domain. HTTP data, on the other hand, is not encrypted and hence more subject to interception by third parties attempting to obtain data passing between the two platforms. Having an SSL-certified website gives several benefits not only to the website’s owner but also to site visitors.
Carry on reading to find out all you need to know about SSL Certificates.
What is an SSL Certification?
SSL is an abbreviation for Secure Sockets Layer. It is the foundation of a secure internet and a security mechanism that allows data to be encrypted while being sent across a server. SSL certificates to aid in the protection of sensitive information such as credit card details, passwords and usernames, consumer information, and so on. Furthermore, an SSL certificate helps safeguard your website from any potential cybercrime and phishing schemes.
In addition to that, SSL Certificate also has three kinds, which are
Single domain SSL Certificate
- A Single Domain SSL Certificate, also known as a Standard SSL Certificate, will only cover one domain name. For example, if you purchase an SSL Certificate with the hostname www.example.com in the common name box, it will not cover the subdomains of your main domain. This rule applies to all SSL validation types. When you enter “example.com” in the common name section, the certificate will secure your www.example.com.
- If you only need to secure ONE website with an SSL certificate, Single Domain SSL or Standard SSL Certificates are the finest options for your online company security. Standard SSL Certificates are the least expensive of the SSL Certificate categories.
Wildcard SSL Certificates
- Wildcard SSL certificates function similarly to Single-Domain SSL certificates, which are applied to a domain and all of its subdomains. If you have an SSL certificate for “example.com,” any subdomains you create, such as “mail.example.com” or “login.example.com,” will be protected automatically. Even if you don’t presently have any subdomains, if you intend on adding any in the future, a wildcard SSL cert will save you money and time because you won’t have to purchase separate SSL certs each time.
Multi-domain SSL Certificates
- A multi-domain SSL certificate protects up to 100 distinct domains. A multi-domain SSL certificate may also protect wildcard domains. This type of SSL certificate is perfect for businesses with several websites since they just have to deal with a single cert for all of them rather than keeping care of various certs for each one. Obtaining this type of certification will also save you money in the long term.
Having understood what an SSL Certificate is and what are its kinds, let us now take a look at something practical.
Ask yourself, is it necessary to purchase one for your website? Here’s a brief insight
Are SSL Certificates Necessary for Your Website?
Just a word- YES!
Why? Because SSL certificates are used to safeguard user data, validate website ownership, prevent attackers from building a false version of the site and instill trust in users.
If a website requires users to sign in, submit personal information such as credit card numbers or see confidential information such as health benefits or financial information, the data must be kept private. SSL certificates assist to keep online interactions private and tell consumers that the website they are visiting is real and secure to exchange personal information with.
More importantly for organizations, an SSL certificate is necessary for an HTTPS web address. HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP, which implies that HTTPS websites use SSL to encrypt their traffic. HTTP sites — those without SSL certificates – are often labeled as “not secure” by most browsers. This gives a clear signal to visitors that the site may not be trustworthy, motivating companies that have not yet migrated to HTTPS to do so.
The kind of information that is secured by SSL Certificates are
- Login information
- Transactions on credit cards or bank accounts
- Personal information — such as complete name, address, date of birth or phone number
- Contracts and legal documents
- Medical documentation
- Private data
You can also understand the essential benefits of an SSL Certificate under the following heading
Benefits of an SSL Certificate
There are four major advantages of utilizing SSL Certificates
Authentication
This ensures that the servers we are communicating with are who they claim to be.
Data Integrity
Ensures that data is not tampered with while in transit between your client and the servers.
Encryption
Shields the actual communication from eavesdroppers, making it impossible for them to deduce what the message is about.
SEO Ranking
Since Google established SSL certificates as a ranking component, sites with SSL certificates may rank higher in search results than those without.
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Conclusion
To summarize, an SSL certificate encrypts data sent between a website and a server. Furthermore, the existence of a valid SSL certificate causes the padlock symbol to appear in web browser address bars and eliminates the non-secure website warning.
