Here’s Why You Need an SSL Certificate for Your Website.
By: kevin@amglobalgroup.com
No doubt you’ve heard a slew of news stories coming out in recent months about data breaches affecting millions of users. Equifax, Wells Fargo, Uber, these are just some of the companies to be hit by these attacks. Each new story that comes out only reinforces the necessity for security in an ever-expanding online market.
The question you may ask yourself is, “What exactly is an SSL Certificate?” Our answer, “It is, a digital padlock protecting direct communication between your web server and the users web browser.” Basically, it is a digital file which binds your Domain, Server and Host Name to your company and location creating an encrypted connection between the two.
You will know you are connected securely when you look into the address bar and see “https”. The “s” means it is secured. Sometimes, different browsers have different icons to inform you that you have a secured connection. Check your browser’s FAQ section to find out how to recognize online security protocol.
How do SSL certificates keep your data safe?
When using an SSL certificate, you’re using technology called ‘public key cryptography’ and what it does is utilize two distinct encryption keys. Each key is comprised of randomly generated numbers, one set for the Private key and another set for the Public key.
The public key is known to your web host/server and can be found in the public domain to send encrypted messages to a customer’s browser. The security aspect takes part when the encrypted message, once sent, can only be decrypted by the Private key on the receiving end.
Think of your web host as ‘Linda’ and the web browser as ‘Danny’. When Linda wants to communicate with Danny, she composes the message, sends it through the public key to encrypt it. Danny, as the intended recipient, sees the decrypted information through his browser. If for sample a hacker attempts to intercept this information before it gets to Danny, all they will see is a random jumble of letters, numbers and codes that are almost impossible to decipher without Danny’s private key.
What else does an SSL certificate do?
Aside from keeping your sensitive data secured between server and browser, SSL Certificates also help boost your rankings in Google searches. Plus, many search engines are now favoring secure sites over non-secure sites. This helps build trust with your customers and boosts your company’s credibility in the long run. All these extra perks have been shown to increase conversion rates for online businesses. Many customers are increasingly worried about their personal information, but having an SSL certificate is just one way to put their minds at ease.
How to get an SSL Certificate.
To purchase an SSL Certificate, you first need to find a trusted Certificate Authority. Most browsers and operating systems can provide a list of trusted certificates and where they can be found.
If the Certificate is not on the end user’s machine, you will likely see error messages along the lines of ‘this website can’t be trusted’ or ‘SSL Certificate is out of date’. In turn, not having the Certificate, can cause traffic to be driven away from your site.
ALM Web Pros offers affordable SSL Certificates. Implementing them is quick, given we can also host your site. You may call us for more information.
