What is SSL, TLS and HTTPS? – Website Security | DigiCert
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256-bit encryption Process of scrambling an electronic document using an algorithm whose key is 256 bits in length. The longer the key, the stronger it is.
A
Asymmetric cryptography These are ciphers that imply a pair of 2 keys during the encryption and decryption processes. In the world of SSL and TLS, we call them public and private keys.
C
Certificate signing request (CSR) Machine-readable form of a DigiCert certificate application. A CSR usually contains the public key and distinguished name of the requester.
Certification authority (CA) Entity authorized to issue, suspend, renew, or revoke certificates under a CPS (Certification Practice Statement). CAs are identied by a distinguished name on all certificates and CRLs they issue. A Certification Authority must publicize its public key, or provide a certificate from a higher level CA attesting to the validity of its public key if it is subordinate to a Primary certification authority. DigiCert is a Primary certification authority (PCA).
Cipher suite This is a set of key exchanges protocols which includes the authentication, encryption and message authentication algorithms used within SSL protocols.
Common name (CN) Attribute value within the distinguished name of a certificate. For SSL certificates, the common name is the DNS host name of the site to be secured. For Software Publisher Certificates, the common name is the organization name.
Connection error When security issues preventing a secure session to start are flagged up while trying to access a site.
D
Domain Validation (DV) SSL Certificates The most basic level of SSL certificate, only domain name ownership is validated before the certificate is issued.
E
Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) Creates encryption keys based on the idea of using points on a curve to dene the public/private key pair. It is extremely difficult to break using the brute force methods often employed by hackers and offers a faster solution with less computing power than pure RSA chain encryption.
Encryption Process of transforming readable (plaintext) data into an unintelligible form (ciphertext) so that the original data either cannot be recovered (one-way encryption) or cannot be recovered without using an inverse decryption process (two-way encryption).
Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates The most comprehensive form of secure certificate which validates domain, require very strict authentication of the company and highlights it in the address bar.
K
Key exchange This is the way users and server securely establish a pre-master secret for a session.
M
Master secret The key material used for generation of encryption keys, MAC secrets and initialization vectors.
Message Authentication Code (MAC) A one way hash function arranged over a message and a secret.
O
Organization Validation (OV) SSL Certificates A type of SSL certificate that validates ownership of the domain and the existence of the organization behind it.
P
Pre-master secret The key material used for the master secret derivation.
Public key infrastructure (PKI) Architecture, organization, techniques, practices, and procedures that collectively support the implementation and operation of a certificate-based public key cryptographic system. The PKI consists of systems that collaborate to provide and implement the public key cryptographic system, and possibly other related services.
S
Secure server Server that protects host web pages using SSL or TLS. When a secure server is in use, the server is authenticated to the user. In addition, user information is encrypted by the user’s web browser’s SSL protocol before being sent across the Internet. Information can only be decrypted by the host site that requested it.
SAN (Subject Alternative Name) SSL certificates Type of certificate which allows multiple domains to be secured with one SSL certificate.
SSL Stands for secure sockets layer. Protocol for web browsers and servers that allows for the authentication, encryption and decryption of data sent over the Internet.
SSL certificate Server certificate that enables authentication of the server to the user, as well as enabling encryption of data transferred between the server and the user. SSL certificates are sold and issued directly by DigiCert, and through the DigiCert PKI Platform for SSL Center.
SSL Handshake A protocol used within SSL for the purpose of security negotiation.
Symmetric encryption Encryption method that imply the same key is used both during the encryption and decryption processes.
T
TCP Transmission control protocol, one of the main protocols in any network.
W
Wildcard SSL certificates Type of certificate used to secure multiple subdomains.
What is an SSL certificate – Definition and Explanation
What is an SSL certificate? An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates a website’s identity and enables an encrypted connection. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, a security protocol that creates an encrypted link between a web server and a web mpanies and organizations need to add SSL certificates to their websites to secure online transactions and keep customer information private and short: SSL keeps internet connections secure and prevents criminals from reading or modifying information transferred between two systems. When you see a padlock icon next to the URL in the address bar, that means SSL protects the website you are its inception about 25 years ago, there have been several versions of SSL protocol, all of which at some point ran into security troubles. A revamped and renamed version followed — TLS (Transport Layer Security), which is still in use today. However, the initials SSL stuck, so the new version of the protocol is still usually called by the old do SSL certificates work? SSL works by ensuring that any data transferred between users and websites, or between two systems, remains impossible to read. It uses encryption algorithms to scramble data in transit, which prevents hackers from reading it as it is sent over the connection. This data includes potentially sensitive information such as names, addresses, credit card numbers, or other financial process works like this:A browser or server attempts to connect to a website (i. e., a web server) secured with browser or server requests that the web server identifies web server sends the browser or server a copy of its SSL certificate in browser or server checks to see whether it trusts the SSL certificate. If it does, it signals this to the web server then returns a digitally signed acknowledgment to start an SSL encrypted session. Encrypted data is shared between the browser or server and the process is sometimes referred to as an “SSL handshake. ” While it sounds like a lengthy process, it takes place in a website is secured by an SSL certificate, the acronym HTTPS (which stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure) appears in the URL. Without an SSL certificate, only the letters HTTP – i. e., without the S for Secure – will appear. A padlock icon will also display in the URL address bar. This signals trust and provides reassurance to those visiting the view an SSL certificate’s details, you can click on the padlock symbol located within the browser bar. Details typically included within SSL certificates include:The domain name that the certificate was issued forWhich person, organization, or device it was issued toWhich Certificate Authority issued itThe Certificate Authority’s digital signatureAssociated subdomainsIssue date of the certificateThe expiry date of the certificateThe public key (the private key is not revealed)Why you need an SSL certificateWebsites need SSL certificates to keep user data secure, verify ownership of the website, prevent attackers from creating a fake version of the site, and convey trust to a website is asking users to sign in, enter personal details such as their credit card numbers, or view confidential information such as health benefits or financial information, then it is essential to keep the data confidential. SSL certificates help keep online interactions private and assure users that the website is authentic and safe to share private information relevant to businesses is the fact that an SSL certificate is required for an HTTPS web address. HTTPS is the secure form of HTTP, which means that HTTPS websites have their traffic encrypted by SSL. Most browsers tag HTTP sites – those without SSL certificates – as “not secure. ” This sends a clear signal to users that the site may not be trustworthy – incentivizing businesses who have not done so to migrate to SSL certificate helps to secure information such as:Login credentialsCredit card transactions or bank account informationPersonally identifiable information — such as full name, address, date of birth, or telephone numberLegal documents and contractsMedical recordsProprietary informationTypes of SSL certificateThere are different types of SSL certificates with different validation levels. The six main types are:Extended Validation certificates (EV SSL)Organization Validated certificates (OV SSL)Domain Validated certificates (DV SSL)Wildcard SSL certificatesMulti-Domain SSL certificates (MDC)Unified Communications Certificates (UCC)Extended Validation certificates (EV SSL)This is the highest-ranking and most expensive type of SSL certificate. It tends to be used for high profile websites which collect data and involve online payments. When installed, this SSL certificate displays the padlock, HTTPS, name of the business, and the country on the browser address bar. Displaying the website owner’s information in the address bar helps distinguish the site from malicious sites. To set up an EV SSL certificate, the website owner must go through a standardized identity verification process to confirm they are authorized legally to the exclusive rights to the anization Validated certificates (OV SSL)This version of SSL certificate has a similar assurance similar level to the EV SSL certificate since to obtain one; the website owner needs to complete a substantial validation process. This type of certificate also displays the website owner’s information in the address bar to distinguish from malicious sites. OV SSL certificates tend to be the second most expensive (after EV SSLs), and their primary purpose is to encrypt the user’s sensitive information during transactions. Commercial or public-facing websites must install an OV SSL certificate to ensure that any customer information shared remains Validated certificates (DV SSL)The validation process to obtain this SSL certificate type is minimal, and as a result, Domain Validation SSL certificates provide lower assurance and minimal encryption. They tend to be used for blogs or informational websites – i. e., which do not involve data collection or online payments. This SSL certificate type is one of the least expensive and quickest to obtain. The validation process only requires website owners to prove domain ownership by responding to an email or phone call. The browser address bar only displays HTTPS and a padlock with no business name displayed. Wildcard SSL certificatesWildcard SSL certificates allow you to secure a base domain and unlimited sub-domains on a single certificate. If you have multiple sub-domains to secure, then a Wildcard SSL certificate purchase is much less expensive than buying individual SSL certificates for each of them. Wildcard SSL certificates have an asterisk * as part of the common name, where the asterisk represents any valid sub-domains that have the same base domain. For example, a single Wildcard certificate for *website can be used to mMulti-Domain SSL Certificate (MDC)A Multi-Domain certificate can be used to secure many domains and/or sub-domain names. This includes the combination of completely unique domains and sub-domains with different TLDs (Top-Level Domains) except for local/internal example: certificates do not support sub-domains by default. If you need to secure both and with one Multi-Domain certificate, then both hostnames should be specified when obtaining the certificate. Unified Communications Certificate (UCC)Unified Communications Certificates (UCC) are also considered Multi-Domain SSL certificates. UCCs were initially designed to secure Microsoft Exchange and Live Communications servers. Today, any website owner can use these certificates to allow multiple domain names to be secured on a single certificate. UCC Certificates are organizationally validated and display a padlock on a browser. UCCs can be used as EV SSL certificates to give website visitors the highest assurance through the green address is essential to be familiar with the different types of SSL certificates to obtain the right type of certificate for your to obtain an SSL certificateSSL certificates can be obtained directly from a Certificate Authority (CA). Certificate Authorities – sometimes also referred to as Certification Authorities – issue millions of SSL certificates each year. They play a critical role in how the internet operates and how transparent, trusted interactions can occur cost of an SSL certificate can range from free to hundreds of dollars, depending on the level of security you require. Once you decide on the type of certificate you require, you can then look for Certificate Issuers, which offer SSLs at the level you require. Obtaining your SSL involves the following steps:Prepare by getting your server set up and ensuring your WHOIS record is updated and matches what you are submitting to the Certificate Authority (it needs to show the correct company name and address, etc. )Generating a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) on your server. This is an action your hosting company can assist bmitting this to the Certificate Authority to validate your domain and company detailsInstalling the certificate they provide once the process is obtained, you need to configure the certificate on your web host or on your own servers if you host the website quickly you receive your certificate depends on what type of certificate you get and which certificate provider you procure it from. Each level of validation takes a different length of time to complete. A simple Domain Validation SSL certificate can be issued within minutes of being ordered, whereas Extended Validation can take as long as a full an SSL certificate be used on multiple servers? It is possible to use one SSL certificate for multiple domains on the same server. Depending on the vendor, you can also use one SSL certificate on multiple servers. This is because of Multi-Domain SSL certificates, which we discussed the name implies, Multi-Domain SSL Certificates work with multiple domains. The number is left up to the specific issuing Certificate Authority. A Multi-Domain SSL Certificate is different from a Single Domain SSL Certificate, which – again, as the name implies – is designed to secure a single make matters confusing, you may hear Multi-Domain SSL Certificates, also referred to as SAN certificates. SAN stands for Subject Alternative Name. Every multi-domain certificate has additional fields (i. e., SANs), which you can use to list additional domains that you want to cover under one certificate. Unified Communications Certificates (UCCs) and Wildcard SSL Certificates also allow for multi-domains and, in the latter case, an unlimited number of happens when an SSL certificate expires? SSL certificates do expire; they don’t last forever. The Certificate Authority/Browser Forum, which serves as the de facto regulatory body for the SSL industry, states that SSL certificates should have a lifespan of no more than 27 months. This essentially means two years plus you can carry over up to three months if you renew with time remaining on your previous SSL certificates expire because, as with any form of authentication, information needs to be periodically re-validated to check it is still accurate. Things change on the internet, as companies and also websites are bought and sold. As they change hands, the information relevant to SSL certificates also changes. The purpose of the expiry period is to ensure that the information used to authenticate servers and organizations is as up-to-date and accurate as eviously, SSL certificates could be issued for as long as five years, which was subsequently reduced to three and most recently to two years plus a potential extra three months. In 2020, Google, Apple, and Mozilla announced they would enforce one-year SSL certificates, despite this proposal being voted down by the Certificate Authority Browser Forum. This took effect from September 2020. It is possible that in the future, the length of validity will reduce still an SSL certificate expires, it makes the site in question unreachable. When a user’s browser arrives at a website, it checks the SSL certificate’s validity within milliseconds (as part of the SSL handshake). If the SSL certificate has expired, visitors will receive a message to the effect of — “This site is not secure. Potential risk ahead” users do have the option to proceed, it is not advisable to do so, given the cybersecurity risks involved, including the possibility of malware. This will significantly impact bounce rates for website owners, as users rapidly click off the homepage and go eping on top of when SSL certificates expire presents a challenge for larger businesses. While smaller and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) may have one or only a few certificates to manage, enterprise-level organizations that potentially transact across markets – with numerous websites and networks – will have many more. At this level, allowing an SSL certificate to expire is usually the result of oversight rather than incompetence. The best way for larger businesses to stay on top of when their SSL certificates expire is by using a certificate management platform. There are various products on the market, which you can find using an online search. These allow enterprises to see and manage digital certificates across their entire infrastructure. If you do use one of these platforms, it is important to log in regularly so you can be aware of when renewals are you allow a certificate to expire, the certificate becomes invalid, and you will no longer be able to run secure transactions on your website. The Certification Authority (CA) will prompt you to renew your SSL certificate before the expiration date. Whichever Certificate Authority or SSL service you use to obtain your SSL certificates from will send you expiration notifications at set intervals, usually starting at 90 days out. Try to ensure that these reminders are being sent to an email distribution list — rather than a single individual, who may have left the company or moved to another role by the time the reminder is sent. Think about which stakeholders in your company are on this distribution list to ensure the right people see the reminders at the right to tell if a site has an SSL certificateThe easiest way to see if a site has an SSL certificate is by looking at the address bar in your browser:If the URL begins with HTTPS instead of HTTP, that means the site is secured using an SSL sites show a closed padlock emblem, which you can click on to see security details – the most trustworthy sites will have green padlocks or address owsers also show warning signs when a connection is not secure — such as a red padlock, a padlock which is not closed, a line going through the website’s address, or a warning triangle on top of the padlock to ensure your online session is safeOnly submit your personal data and online payment details to websites with EV or OV certificates. DV certificates are not suitable for eCommerce websites. You can tell if a site has an EV or OV certificate by looking at the address bar. For an EV SSL, the organization’s name will be visible in the address bar itself. For an OV SSL, you can see the organization’s name’s details by clicking on the padlock icon. For a DV SSL, only the padlock icon is the website’s privacy policy. This enables you to see how your data will be used. Legitimate companies will be transparent about how they collect your data and what they do with out for trust signals or indicators on websites.
As well as SSL certificates, these include reputable logos or badges which show the website meets specific security standards. Other signs that can help you determine if a site is real or not include checking for a physical address and telephone number, checking their returns or refunds policy, and making sure prices are believable and not too good to be alert to phishing scams.
Sometimes cyber attackers create websites that mimic existing websites to trick people into purchasing something or logging in to their phishing site. It is possible for a phishing site to obtain an SSL certificate and therefore encrypt all the traffic that flows between you and it. A growing proportion of phishing scams occur on HTTPS sites — deceiving users who feel reassured by the padlock icon’s avoid these kinds of attacks:Always examine the domain of the site you are on and ensure it is spelled correctly. The URL of a fake site might differ by only one character – e. g., instead of If in doubt, type the domain directly into your browser to make sure you are connecting to the website you intend to enter logins, passwords, banking credentials, or any other personal information on the site unless you are sure of its consider what a particular site is offering, whether it looks suspicious, and whether you really need to register on sure your devices are well protected: Kaspersky Internet Security checks URLs against an extensive database of phishing sites, and it detects scams regardless of how “safe” the resource bersecurity risks continue to evolve but understanding the types of SSL certificates to look out for and how to distinguish a safe site from a potentially dangerous one will help internet users avoid scams and protect their personal data from lated articles:Tips on how to prevent ransomware attacksHow to run a virus scan the right wayWhat is a security breach? What is data privacy?
Do I Need an SSL Certificate? – Namecheap
You’ve probably noticed that some website URLs start with while others begin with. The s stand
for secure encryption, which can only be guaranteed with an SSL certificate. It’s common among sites
that require users to hand over sensitive information such as credit card information, home addresses,
and financial data.
Even if you haven’t noticed it before, it’s likely your website visitors have. Even a novice web user these
days knows online fraud is on the rise and with it, it’s more important than ever to be able to determine
whether they are using a website with a secured web connection (SSL) or not.
The eCommerce world has many data breaches, and they’re rapidly growing. Every website owner should think
about bolstering their site security. Without SSL, your site visitors and customers are at higher risk
of being having their data stolen. Your site security is also at risk without encryption. SSL protects
website from phishing scams, data breaches, and many other threats. Ultimately, It builds a secure
environment
for both visitors and site owners. People treat non- sites that ask for personal information with caution and so does Google. The search
engine is so determined to protect users from insecure websites, it’s taking whether or not a site has
an SSL certificate into consideration. For anyone hoping to make money online, this should be reason
enough to get one.
You might still be on the fence about adding SSL to your website. Does my site really need it? Is it
necessary?
And finally, Which certificate do I need? Keep reading for answers. Is SSL Necessary? Let’s start with the basics: What is SSL? An SSL certificate encrypts the data that goes from a user’s
computer
to the target website and back. Every time a user enters information into your site, SSL makes sure it
can securely travel from their browser to your web server. What does this mean for website owners? Websites communicate with their customers to share information, and
so that they can buy products or services safely with you online. Without getting overly technical, adding
an SSL certificate creates a safe connection for those kinds of activities. The most important thing
to grasp about SSL is that anything that needs to be secure online should under the protective umbrella
of an SSL certificate.
You might have gone to some lengths to bolster your site security but without SSL, it’s unlikely to be
enough.
Website are free to operate online without an SSL certificate, but you must ask yourself whether you
want to take the chance that yours is susceptible to hacking? Probably not. It was once sufficient to depend solely on basic antivirus software and firewalls for the protection of your
business and home computer. That’s no longer the case; today’s users are bombarded with malware. Securing
customer trust and confidence should be up there with the most critical factors to consider for anyone
operating a business online.
Consider the motivation behind any external party getting hold of your visitors data. Their intention won’t
be good; it’s most likely their purpose is to manipulate the information or use it for identity theft.
As such, the onus is on the website, or online business to take active steps to counter these measures,
in a effort to look after these customers. In doing so, you’re ensuring continual confidence in the use
of your web services, higher customer retention and, more importantly, the reduction of data theft. To sum up, an SSL certificate is more than protect your transactions and your customers’ private information.
It will also help to build trust between you and your customer base all the while making your business
more reputable. SSL Encryption Offers the Following Advantages High encryption levels of up to 256-bit to protect user’s sensitive information. Provides strong encryption to protect the users’ information from phishing scams & attacks.
Protects websites from attack, reducing the risk of hacking, eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle
attacks.
Can provide a positive influence in Google’s evaluation of your website. Establishes a safe shopping experience – It’s necessary for websites accepting payments. Proves your business authentication and increase your brand reputation by validating your Business
from Trusted Certificate Authority (CA) Displays Green Address Bar along with Organization Name (Only for EV SSL). Enhance user’s trust & confidence while increasing your organization’s profits – Users trust the
website with the ‘secure connection’ sign. Finally, SSL saves you money. Think about it, a security breach is a legal problem, and any customer data
compromised as a result of one could result in substantial legal repercussions for the company. Employing
preventive measures will save a lot of financial issues such as these in the long run. Adding SSL to
not compromise on maintaining web security both to protect your customers and also the welfare of your
business.
Is SSL Required for my Site? If you’re not sure whether your site has SSL, you can easily find out by checking the URL of the site. If
it starts with HTTP, you aren’t secure, and if it begins with HTTPS, then your website has an SSL
certificate.
Some internet browsers have began publicly shaming sites without SSL. Different browsers have imposed
different indicators of whether a site is secure. For example, Google Chrome will signal the site is
‘not-secure’ in the browser bar while Firefox will label them ‘non-secure’.
You might want to think about adding an SSL certificate to your website is if any of your pages are password
protected. This especially includes WordPress or other database-driven sites with a login page for the
administrator. Anyone with access to this login can modify your pages or take your entire site down.
Today, an e-commerce world has many online data breaches, and they are rapidly growing over the internet,
so every website owner must have an SSL Certificate to encrypt user’s information & keep them safe and
secure on the internet.
To summarize, these are the reasons your website needs SSL: If your site has a login, you need SSL to secure usernames and passwords.
If you are using forms that ask for sensitive customer information, you need SSL to stop your
customer
data from being appropriated by hackers. If you’re an ecommerce site, you may need an SSL certificate. Do I Have Logins to Secure? Not everyone collects money online. Some websites collect information. This could be anything from newsletter
subscription forms to subscription to a newsletter. If your site has forms that ask for even the most
basic information, such as name, phone number, email address and home address, you should be using SSL.
Any site with forms asking for user information should make sure their web forms are secure. Without an SSL
certificate, these forms can be intercepted, easily. Technically, whenever a user inputs data in different
fields in your website that information directly goes to a server or stored elsewhere. This way of
exchanging
information is easy for even beginner hackers to intercept.
Chances are your clients would not want that information leaked and will avoid using your services if there’s
a chance this could happen. Not having SSL on your site could impact on sales and subscriptions due to
visitors not filling out forms on unsecured pages. If you have SSL Certificate installed, you became
a trusted owner of your user information and securing them.
Do I Use Forms With Sensitive Customer Information? If your site has a way users can log in with a username and password, then you should think about using an
SSL Certificate on your login page. Without it, their passwords are transmitted in plain text and could
be intercepted by hackers anywhere along the journey from their computer to where your website server
is located. Do You Have an E-commerce Site That Stores Credit Card Information? Credit cards and social security numbers are two of the most notable types of sensitive data that need an
SSL certificate. It’s unlikely anyone would want to put their customers at risk of having their credit
card information stolen while using your site?
E-commerce sites may need an SSL certificate. If you are or plan on accepting major credit cards online,
you need a merchant account – most of them require you to use an SSL certificate. If the eCommerce website
has no SSL, visitors may abandon the shopping cart and as a result, sales will suffer.
Not every e-commerce site needs SSL Some websites use e-commerce shopping cart tools that come with their secure payment system. In these cases,
a third party handles the credit cards or provides another method of paying online. If you use a third
party payment gateway and the sensitive data is processed at the gateway’s website, then you don’t need
SSL.
Let’s use Paypal as an example. When a customer buy items from your website, and you send them to a site
like Paypal, paypal processes the payments. Paypal has the SSL certificate so it can safely contacts
the bank and finishes the transaction on your behalf. For this kind of e-commerce, because your website
is not capturing sensitive data, you do not need an SSL certificate. What if I None of the Above Apply to Me? There are other reasons, however, to add an SSL. If your website doesn’t collect sensitive data, like credit
cards or social security numbers, you may not have needed an SSL certificate in the past. However, with
the new browser notifications, it’s now essential to ensure every website has an SSL certificate and
is loaded via HTTPS.
SSL and Google While the real purpose of SSL is securing information between the visitor and your site, there are other
benefits, namely pleasing Google and the opportunity for a page rank boost. Google is serious about its
browser security, and has taken the stance that ALL data submitted to Google listed websites should be
secured with SSL.
From October 2017, Google launched the new version (version 62) of Google Chrome, and this version would
show a “NOT SECURE” warning when users enter text in a form on an HTTP page (meaning pages without an
SSL certificate) that collect passwords or credit cards as non-secure, as part of a long-term plan to
mark all HTTP sites as non-secure.
The idea is that website browsers know the information is going over the internet unencrypted. No doubt this
will have a profound impact on user experience. No one wants to go to a website labeled not secure. Popular
browser Firefox has taken a slightly different approach to highlighting insecure sites. They highlight
the password box with a special note about insecure forms.
As much as these may seem like harsh measures on behalf of Google, it is rewarding HTTPS websites with a
favorable ranking over insecure sites in their search engine results.
Which SSL Should I Use? There are different ways to show visitors that your site is secure. There are certificates to let your site
visitors see the SSL belongs to a verified organization whereas basic versions simply show HTTPS in your
web address.
Different websites have different requirements for the type of SSL they need. The one appropriate for your
domain depends on a few factors. To evaluate your needs against the different types of SSL certificates,
ask yourself the following questions:
How many domain names do I need to secure? Single-domain SSLs cover just one domain or a subdomain. These are available as Standard, OV, and
EV. To secure multiple subdomains, opt for a Wildcard SSL, for example, you might secure
which would also cover any subdomains such as and Wildcard
SSL is available as Standard or OV certificates.
Can I use a Shared SSL or do I need my own certificate? Both Shared as well as Dedicated SSL fulfill the primary aim of SSL, both transmit data in encrypted
form over networks. Whether to use Shared SSL or opt for Dedicated SSL depends on your specific
needs, as well as how much money you have to spend. One of the main differences in using a shared
or dedicated SSL is the how the URL will appear to your visitors.
A Shared SSL URL will look something like this:. While with dedicated SSL, the URL is determined by
you, either as another registered domain or as a subdomain of your website domain name. Opting
for a secure, private URL would look more like this:
Many people are drawn to the shared SSL certificate because it’s quick, convenient and cheaper.
Saving
money on a less costly shared certificate could leave free up some money free to use for other
things. On the other hand, if your dream is to build your online business into something high
profile, making a lot of sales, it might be worth it to spend extra on getting a dedicated SSL
certificate. My Website Isn’t Secure. What Should I Do Next? If you are running an E-commerce, online services or some other business where your users have to put their
credentials, SSL Certificate is a must for you. However, if you are running a small blog or magazine
website you also need SSL Certificate. Since Google officially announced that security of your site is
also a ranking factor, all websites should take note. Many legitimate certificate authorities and hosting providers offer SSL certificates. To get your SSL
certificate,
you just need to verify your domain name and business ownership, and it’s as simple as that. SSL
Certificates
are available for free, and there are premium versions available now for a decent price. Anyone can get
SSL certificate easily to avail the benefits of their security, their visitors security and their Google
ranking. For more information about the types of certificates available and how to set them up,
here is a helpful guide.
Once you’re ready to make your site secure, take advantage of one of
Namecheap’s highly competitive SSL certificates. We offer easy
set-up certificates for small websites,
businesses big and small, as well as multi-domain solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions about whats ssl
What does SSL mean?
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, a security protocol that creates an encrypted link between a web server and a web browser. Companies and organizations need to add SSL certificates to their websites to secure online transactions and keep customer information private and secure.
What is SSL and why do I need it?
An SSL certificate encrypts the data that goes from a user’s computer to the target website and back. Every time a user enters information into your site, SSL makes sure it can securely travel from their browser to your web server.
Is SSL good or bad?
SSL is great, but it is simply not enough. The interception the data packets flowing between visitor and website is only one way internet criminals gain access to sensitive information. If SSL has not been properly implemented, some content on a site may NOT covered by the encryption expected.Jun 19, 2017