Posted on October 23, 2024 by zovoteam
Why Using SSL Certificatesare Essential for Protecting Your Website
“Your connection is not secure.” Have you ever tried to visit a web page and this warning pops up on the screen? This happens when the website is not SSL-certified.
SSL, a Secure Socket Layer, has become a mandatory website standard. It is an encryption technology that creates a secure connection between a web server and a user’s web browser. It also helps your site to improve rank, build user trust, and much more.
So whether you are running a small online retail store, a massive financial institution, a website owner, or a blog writer, everyone’s website needs an SSL certificate.
In this article, we will explain: What is an SSL Certificate? Why do you need it? And how to install one for your website.
What is an SSL Certificate?
An SSL certificate is a digital security protocol that is encrypted between a server and a client. An SSL certificate secures the connection between a website and a browser and prevents hackers from reading or modifying any sensitive information like credit card numbers, login credentials, or social security numbers transferred between two endpoints. When you see a padlock icon next to the URL in the address bar, it shows that your site is secured, which means that the site you are visiting is SSL-secured.
Every day, SSL secures millions of people’s data on the internet. An SSL-secured website also begins with https rather than http.
Why Does Your Website Need an SSL Certificate?
An SSL certificate is really important for any website to keep its user data secure and verified and prevent attackers from creating a fake version of your website.
When a website asks its customers to sign up and provide their details, for example, their credit card number or health benefits, it’s really important to keep their data confidential. SSL certificates ensure that the data that users share with the website is kept private and help users trust the website’s authenticity and security.
SSL certificates help to secure information such as:
- User login details
- Payment information like credit card numbers or bank details
- Personal information like name, address, date of birth, and contact number
- Confidential legal documents and agreements
- Medical history and health records
- Business- or company-related proprietary information
Types of SSL Certificates
There are mainly six types of SSL certificates; those are:
- Extended Validation Certificates (EV SSL)
- Organization-validated certificates (OV SSL)
- Domain Validated Certificates (DV SSL)
- Wildcard SSL certificates
- Multi-Domain SSL certificates (MDC)
- Unified Communications Certificates (UCC)
Extended Validation Certificates (EV SSL)
Extended validation certificates are the most expensive and high-ranking SSL certificates. These types of SSL certificates are used by high-ranking websites that collect data and involve payments. To install an extended validation certificate, the website owner must go through a standardized verification process to ensure that they have the legal authority to use the domain’s exclusive rights.
By using an Extended Validation certificate, the website shows the padlock, name of the website, HTTPS, and country on the browser address bar. By displaying the website owner’s information in the address, it helps validate their site from any malicious sites.
Organization Validated Certificates (OV SSL)
Organization-validated certificates are the second-most expensive SSL certificates. It has a similar level of security compared to extended validation certificates. Its main purpose is to secure the user’s sensitive information when doing any transaction. The organization validated certificates showing the primary owner’s information on the address bar to prevent any malicious sites. The public-facing or commercial websites purchase these SSL certificates to prevent their user information from getting stolen.
Domain Validated Certificates (DV SSL)
Domain-validated certificates are used on blogs or informational websites that do not accept online payments or collect data. This SSL certificate provides minimal encryption with lower assurance. However, this type of certificate is cheap and quickest to get. The validation process for the domain-validated certificate only requires the website owners to respond through a phone call or email. The websites with this certificate only show a padlock with no business name and HTTPS in the URL.
Wildcard SSL Certificates
A wildcard SSL certificate allows you to secure your main domain and create an unlimited number of subdomains with a single certificate. If you plan to have multiple sub-domains for your website, then purchasing a wildcard SSL will be less expensive for you than purchasing individual SSL certificates for each of the subdomains. For example, a single wildcard SSL certificate can be used to secure:
- yourdomain.com
- yourdomain.com
- yourdomain.com
- yourdomain.com
- yourdomain.com
Multi-Domain SSL certificates (MDC)
Multi-domain certificates are used to secure multiple domains or subdomain names. This can include the combination of different domains into top-level subdomains (except for local or international ones). For example:
- org
- anotherdomain.net
- sampledomain.co.uk
- mystore.com
- mycompany.org
Unified Communications Certificates (UCC)
Unified Communications Certificates were initially designed to secure live communication servers and Microsoft Exchange. It’s similar to multi-domain SSL certificates. Today, any website user can use the same SSL certificate to secure multiple domains. United Communications certificates show padlocks when a user visits the website, and it ensures the highest security through its green address bar to the visitors.
Benefits of Using SSL Certificates
Here are the reasons why you should use an SSL certificate for protecting your website:
Protects Against Phishing Attacks
Cybersecurity has improved over the years, but phishing websites are still a serious threat. Too many people fall victim to updated cyber attacks that indulge the user in giving sensitive information about their login credentials or financial data by pretending to be a trusted website.
Although DV certificates will not protect your website from deceiving phishers, an extended validation service can. An extended validation certificate goes through a detailed verification process to verify the owner’s identity and authority. An EV SSL certificate shows the website information when the user clicks on the padlock icon, which helps users detect whether the website is trustworthy or fraudulent.
Increase Online Visibility
The majority of browsers flag websites that do not have an SSL certificate. that protects users from data breaches. And when a website uses an SSL certificate, your website’s search engine results improve as Google prioritizes secure sites. So it’s critical that you get an SSL certificate for your website.
More Trusted by the Customers
Customers have more trust in websites that are SSL-certified. as the hackers can’t access their personal information they provide to the website, and their information remains safe. Customers can also inspect the SSL certificate to make sure that they are on the right website.
Identifies Potential Risks
Using an SSL certificate can also help with security threats. When a hacker tries to gain access to a website that is SSL-certified, your owner gets notified. So they can monitor the website and take proper security measures, for example, changing the website login information or password. They can also monitor whether there was any change made to the website to figure out whether the hacker was able to gain access to the website or not.
Do Small Businesses Need SSL Certificates?
You might have a small business that has a lower price with great service. But if people can’t trust your business, they’ll not buy from your website. That’s why trust is really important when it comes to websites. To get the customer’s trust, you should protect the customer’s data by using an SSL certificate for your website.
SSL certificates also protect small business sites from getting attacked by hackers or stealing information from the website.
SSL Certificates for E-Commerce Websites
In an eCommerce website, users have to share their personal information, along with financial information, with the website to purchase any certain product. If the user’s information gets hacked due to a lack of an SSL certificate, it can cause a lot of damage to your website’s trustworthiness. And the customers might not purchase any product from you without feeling secure.
Select an SSL certificate that meets the needs of the eCommerce website and protects against potential data breaches. Check out the SSL certificate for an e-commerce website here.
How to Install SSL Certificates on Your Website
You can get an SSL certificate directly through a certificate authority (CA). They issue millions of certificates each year and also manage how the internet operates and how transparent, trusted interactions can occur online.
The cost of an SSL certificate ranges from zero up to and including hundreds of dollars depending on the type of certificate and its level of security. If you have decided the type of certificate you want for your website, you can then search for the providers of the level of certificate you want for your website.
How to install SSL certificates for your website:
- First of all, prepare your server and check the WHOIS record to see if it’s updated or not. Make sure it matches the information that you are submitting to the certification authority.
- then generate a certificate signing request on your server. This is something that your hosting company can help you with.
- Forward the certificate to the certification authority to verify your donation and your company details.
- Once it is done, install the certificate that they offer.
The time it will take to receive the SSL certificate depends on the type of certificate you purchase and which provider you purchase it from. A simple SSL certificate can be received within minutes of being ordered. While an extended validation SSL certificate can take up to a week.
How to Tell If a Website Has an SSL Certificate
There are a few ways you can tell if a website has an SSL certificate or not; those are:
- Look at the website URL; if it begins with HTTPS, then it’s an SSL-certified website. If the URL begins with HTTP, that means it’s not SSL-certified.
- When a site is SSL certified, it will show a secured padlock appears to the left of the website link. If the site has a green padlock, then it means that the site is secured with the most trustworthy SSL certificate.
- When you are going into a website that’s not SSL certified, you will get a notification like “The website is not secured,” or it might show a red padlock at the left side of the web address.
Final Thoughts
Cybersecurity risks are evolving day by day, but by understanding the type of SSL certificate your website requires and getting an SSL-certified website, you will be able to secure your users from potential scams and protect their data from hacks. This will eventually increase the credibility and trustability of your website.