What is an SSL Certificate?

An SSL certificate is an important element of any online business. It builds customer trust, and if your business is not trustworthy, it may be difficult to sell your products or attract new customers. SSL certificates also prove that you are concerned about your customers’ security. Nowadays, consumers are trained to look for a green bar or padlock to indicate the security of a website.

Public key cryptography

Public key cryptography is the basis of secure communications over the Internet. It uses a public key and a private key to encrypt and decrypt data. The public key is made available to all users, while the private key is kept secret. A certificate verifies the owner of the public key by displaying a digital signature.

The primary benefit of public key cryptography is increased identity and data security. Its security is greatly enhanced by the fact that no one knows the private key of the other party. This protects against man-in-the-middle attacks, where an unauthorized third party intercepts and relays a message between two entities.

SSL certificates use public key cryptography. The private key resides on the origin server. This ensures end-to-end data security. HTTPS is a secure version of the HTTP protocol, which enables the secure transmission of sensitive data.

Validation

SSL certificates protect the information that is transferred between the web server and browser. They also act as a barrier against malware and hackers. Security is one of the most important factors in a successful website. A website that is unsafe will turn away many potential customers. Therefore, SSL certificate validation is essential for ensuring data security.

There are two basic types of SSL certificates, DV and EV. DV is the most basic type and is the cheapest option. Let’s Encrypt is a popular vendor of DV certificates. These certificates validate that the domain name and website belongs to the domain owner. OV (Organisation Validation) is the middle tier of validation, which includes the vetting of the organization that owns the certificate. EV (Extended Validation) is the highest level of validation, and verifies the physical existence of the certificate owner and their identity.

EV SSL certificates provide the highest level of security and trust. These certificates are issued by reputable third parties, known as certificate authorities. These authorities ensure that the domain owner is legitimate and has the ability to meet the requirements for EV SSL. They also encrypt data for privacy protection. This ensures that no malware or hackers can access personal data from your site.

Extensive validation

SSL certificates have different levels of authentication and trust, but Extended Validation (EV) certificates offer the highest level of protection. These certificates are verified by a third-party company, called the Certificate Authority. These organizations investigate a number of measurements before issuing an EV certificate. These measures are not only meant to protect consumers, but also verify the identity of the applicant.

To qualify for an Extended Validation (EV) SSL certificate, the requestor must provide proof of organization. The organization must be listed with the appropriate government agency in the country in which it conducts business. Organizations may be corporations, government agencies, or sole proprietorships with a valid license. In addition, the organization must not be located in a prohibited country or industry.

EV certificates require a high level of identity verification, making them the best choice for high-profile e-commerce sites. They verify that the owner of a website has the legal, physical, and financial capacity to conduct business. They also prove that they have the right to operate on a specific domain.

Cost

An SSL certificate is an important security measure for your website. It encrypts traffic between your website and the internet, protecting your data from prying eyes. You can purchase a Standard, Extended, or Wildcard SSL certificate, depending on the level of security you need for your website. Each has its benefits and drawbacks, so make sure you choose the right one for your website.

The first step is to compare the features and prices of different SSL products. You can do this by visiting the SSL certificate comparison page on your web host or ask your web design expert. This table lists the main features of each SSL product, as well as the price. Other helpful resources are the company’s support center and blog section, which contains articles on the latest web technologies.

An SSL certificate’s cost depends on the type of certification you need, the number of domains you wish to cover, and the issuing certificate authority. You can choose to use a free SSL included with many hosting packages such as LetsEncrypt’s OR pay as much as $50 per year for a simple SSL, OR pay a higher price for an extended SSL – usually recommended for clients that are doing tens of thousands of dollars of sales on their online store platform.

SEO: Does SSL Matter? YES!

Having a valid and active SSL certificate is one of the many points Google and other search engines will look at in judging your site to determine if you should rank well for your keywords. We recommend all clients at minimum use a free SSL such as LetsEncrypt but if you are doing online sales or the primary concern and goal is to rank we would highly suggest you get a Simple SSL basic upgrade.

Thank you for checking out our blog post on What SSL certificates are, how SSL certificates work, and the importance of it for your small business website. If you need help with your brand go on and book a session today for us to help supercharge your brand’s online presence!