What, Why and How of SSL Certificates?

What is an SSL certificate?

A simplest of language, it is that padlock icon with https:// in the address bar; preceding the URL of the website you visit. It depicts that all your data, including your username, email, passwords, and Credit card details are secured, and safe from hacking attempts.

And if you really want to know the technicalities of SSL, then first you need to know:

What is HTTPS?

Before diving into HTTPS, it is important to understand its basic definition of HTTP.

HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol and is a communication protocol that Servers and Clients implement to communicate.

It all started in 1989 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee and since then it has been widely used as the default communication protocol.

So what’s wrong with HTTP and why go for HTTPS?

Under HTTP, the information is transferred in plain text, which allows the network to see the info transmitted.

A big security concern! Isn’t It?

So, to solve this HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) came into play. It initially establishes an encrypted channel and then transmits data from the browser to the client.

Why important is it for my Website?

A lot!

In February of 2018, Search giant Google announced that they will treat all Non-SSL sites as not secure. Since then many sites have moved to https for better.

And if you are still stuck, then your visitors will see a warning and you will lose a significant amount of visitors and experience high bounce-rate.

And you don’t want that Right?

That’s why you need SSL!

What are SSL and TLS?

SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer.

SSL is the certificate which enables HTTPS.

An encrypted channel in HTTPS is created using Transport Layer Socket (TLS) or Secure Socket Layer (SSL).

SSL utilizes a public and private key to establish an encrypted connection.

How do I choose an SSL certificate?

There are many types of SSL certificates available. We have explained in brief about 3 of them. By the End of this section, you’ll be clear about your type of certificate.

1         1.Domain Validation Certificate (DV)

One of the most common types as well as the cheapest of all. A DV certificate is checked against the domain registry.

But is often considered risky, as an individual, could not validate the legitimacy of the business.

2. Organization Validation (OV) Certificate

      An organization validation certificate is often trusted and can contain legal business details like organization name, state, and country. Validation of such certificates requires real agents.  
    

3. Extended Validation Certificate (EV)

An Extended validation certificate checks the organization behind the website. This is obtained after checking the legal entity that controls the domain. Yes, somewhat similar to OV certificates.

How to obtain it involves checking:

·         Domain Control

·         Government Business Records

·         Independent Directories of Business

·         Phone call verification

4.  Wildcard SSL Certificates

Also known as Single-name SSL certificates, protects one subdomain.

Example: If you purchase a certificate for www.example.com, it won’t apply to mail.example.com.

Single name certificates are a good choice only if you are looking to add it to just one sub-domain.

Now, what if you want a universal certificate, that’s when Multi-Domain SSL certificates come in.

By now you must have decided which of these is the ONE for you and suits your needs.

Conclusion

By now you must have understood the importance of SSL certificates. It not only boosts your search engine ranking but also gives you a huge advantage online.

Most importantly it provides customers the confidence that you’re protecting their information and that you care about them.