What is SSL Certificate?

Overview of SSL Certificate

To establish a secure connection, the browser and the server need an SSL certificate, sometimes also called a digital certificate. This certificate is installed on the webserver and serves two functions:

1. Authenticating the identity of the website meaning, it guarantees the visitor that the website is not fake.
2. Encrypting the data which is being transmitted.

SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. It is a security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a server and a client. A client could be a web browser or a mail client and a server could be a web server or a mail server. As a user SSL is used by millions of businesses and individual users around the world to decrease the risk of sensitive information from being stolen. SSL allows a “Private Conversation” between two intended parties.

Importance of SSL Certificate

• Nowadays everything has gone online. Businesses are making more money by being virtual. Internet is the biggest platform for social media, shopping, knowledge sharing and many more. It has taken a boom since the smartphone has hit the market. Everybody wants to be on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and whatnot. The banking transactions are also now happening online. There is thousands shopping website to shop from. But and it’s a big but do you trust each one of them to shop? Do you feel safe when you open any random website for shopping or do you feel safe for doing any banking transaction? Where is this trust factor coming from? How are you so sure that you won’t be getting robbed?
• The very first factor is security. What kind of security has been provided by online businesses such that your data won’t be stolen? Another is popularity. When any business does become popular? From his customer/users right. And how it gets popular? Again by the services provided by it. Take an example of shopping from amazon.com and shopping from any unknown website you have never heard of. What will you choose? Today every firm spends a hell lot of money on security. Nobody wants their sensitive information to be stolen.
• SSL certificate is a step towards security. When SSL is installed on the server, it activates the padlock and the https protocol allows the secure connections from the webserver to the browser. When you install the certificate the application protocol know as HTTP will change to HTTPs where ‘S’ stands for ‘Security’. So when you visit the website you see a padlock or a green https in the address bar.

• So the next time you see a padlock or https you can say that your connection is secured.

Why we need an SSL Certificate?

Below are the key reasons why SSL is essential:

1. SSL Protects your Data

The first and most important is “protection of data”. The core functionality of SSL is to protect communication. With SSL every bit of data will be encrypted. In simple words, the data is locked and only the intended recipient can unlock it. SSL helps in protecting your sensitive data like passwords, credit/debit card details, etc.

2. SSL Affirms your Identity

• Identity verification is a crucial aspect when web security is a concern. There have been thousands of cases out there where people had actually lost a lot of money on fake websites.
• If you are someone who is hosting a website you must go through a validation process set by a third party called Certificate Authority (CA). CA will verify your certificate and your organization. Once proven your website will get trust. Now when a user comes to your website he/she will know whom they talking to.
• There is a term called Phishing where some imposter creates a fake website pretending to be someone he/she is not. Here SSL helps the user is driving to the real website which helps you in enhancing your reputation and also saves the user from frauds.

3. Boost SEO Ranking

As we all prefer Google as our first choice of search engine we definitely want our website to come on the first page of the search. To give power to the https-enabled website Google had made changes to its search algorithm. Studies have shown a strong relation between HTTPS and higher search engine rankings. So do you want your website to be on the first page of a search engine?

4. It helps in Satisfying PCI/DDS Requirements

• Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards (DSS) is an information security standard. This organization is formed in 2006 for the purpose of managing the security of credit cards. PCI/DSS applies to companies of any size that accepts card payment.
• If your company accepts payment through cards you need to host your data securely with PCI compliant hosting provider. Installing SSL is one of the 12 primary requirements which has been set by the PCI.

5. It helps in Improving Customer Trust & Revenue

Apart from encryption and authentication, SSL certificates play a vital role in gaining customer trust. Users can also see your organization details if you have installed the Organization Validation (OV) certificate or Extended Validation (EV) certificate. Once your user knows that you are a legit organization they are likely to do business with you. So an increase in the customer number, an increase in the revenue.

Benefits of SSL Certificate

We have seen all the importance of having an SSL certificate in the above points. We could say that having your website on SSL helps in gaining trust, gaining popularity, maintain reputation, protecting data of course, and in the end the revenue. Also, the cherry on the cake is the PCI/DSS which helps in regulatory compliance. This compliance mandates a website organization to provide a private connection on a page where the customer requires to enter personal information. SSL also protects against Phishing attacks because it is almost impossible to clone an SSL certificate.

Conclusion

Now we know how important for us to have an SSL so why not have one for our website? Save yourself from being hacked and gain the trust of your customers. If you consider yourself, would you buy anything from a website that doesn’t have SSL? Think twice.

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This is a guide to What is SSL Certificate?. Here we discuss the basic concept, important and key reasons why SSL is essential with proper explanation. You can also go through our other related articles to learn more –

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