SSL Certificate, are you secure?
SSL Certificates, made up of small data files, digitally connect a cryptographic key to a business’s details. A standard security protocol, it creates encrypted connections between a web server and browser. Millions of websites around the world use SSL Certificate to protect communication and data transmitted online via websites.
Ecommerce websites or any website that takes orders from customers incorporates a SSL certificate to protect credit card details, passwords, usernames, and other sensitive information. Websites without a SSL certificate put their users at risk, as it would become readable. It offers privacy, data integrity, and critical security for both the business’s website and users personal information.
How Do I Know I Have A SSL Certificate?
Look at the website’s URL. If it starts with “https” instead of “http,” the website is secured with an SSL certificate. The “S” stands for secure in “https.” Businesses can obtain an SSL certificate by going through a validation process.
However, there are different levels of validation. For instance, Domain Validation (DV), the lowest level of validation, validates the domain’s ownership, not the legitimacy of the business asking to obtain the certificate.
Extended Validation (EV), the highest level of validation, is the safest and most secure validation. Businesses wanting the EV certificate need to prove their identity and legitimacy of their business. Businesses with a green address bar on their website hold the EV certificate.
Does My Site Need It?
Your website needs a SSL certificate if the following things are true for you:
- Ecommerce websites that take credit card details even if the card is processed by the payment processor
- Website stores users’ information on the website
- Led generation websites store leads on the website
- Websites allow subscribers to sign-up for a class or newsletter and stores their information on the website
- Wholesale customers where the information is stored on the website
- Websites that requires users to login since businesses are protecting the login data
Why Did Google Make SSL Mandatory?
Google made it mandatory for websites to have an SSL certificate because it wants to protect its users and their data. Google will flag websites without an SSL certificate, meaning it will show a “Not Secure” in the URL bar.
