TOP 10 Reasons From Semalt Why You Should Have An SSL Certificate
An SSL certificate is a guarantee of security on the Internet. This is especially important now - in the age of making most transactions via the Internet, booking tickets, and leaving key personal data on numerous websites. Many companies have already implemented this certificate, thus giving a clear signal to their customers that their data is fully protected and safe. One thing is for sure: an SSL certificate is worth having, and here are 10 facts intended to prove it.
What does SSL stand for?
It is an abbreviation of the English words for Secure Socket Layer and has a long tradition. It was invented in 1994 by the Netscape company. It is used to transmit encrypted data between the user's computer and the server. It quickly became an extremely popular solution. Why? The answer lies not only in the guarantee of safety but also in the simplicity of operation and installation.
SSL is chosen by many companies and institutions for which the security of their customers' data is a priority.
"SSL certificate gives a clear signal to customers that their data is fully protected and safe."
Despite the popularity of SSL, many people are still unaware of what exactly this certificate is and for whom it is intended. Are you not sure if, when, and how to install an SSL certificate on your website? Or maybe you are not convinced of the benefits of the implementation? In this article, we will explain all the issues related to SSL certificates. How the SSL certificate works.
What does an SSL certificate give you?
SSL has one main purpose - it guarantees the security of data during its transmission, using AES encryption. Data sent using HTTPS protocol is secured with TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocol, which provides three-level protection by:
- Encryption of exchanged data. They are completely confidential and secured.
- Data integrity. The data may not be changed during the transfer by third parties, or such a change will be automatically detected.
- The fact that users can be sure that they are browsing the page of their choice and are not redirected to another fake but confusingly similar site.
How to check if a website has an SSL certificate? For the website visitor, the information that the website has an SSL certificate, and thus confirmation of its security, is visible in the website address: https://example.com.com ('HTTPS, as opposed to 'HTTP', uses the SSL protocol). Depending on the company offering security certificates, a padlock icon, green address field, or other sign may also appear.
3 types of SSL certificates
Are you wondering which SSL certificate to choose? Considering the type of checking and the correctness of SSL certificates, they can be divided into 3 groups:
- DV (Domain Validation) certificates - basic authentication
- OV (Organization Validation) certificates - extended authentication
- EV (Extended Validation) certificates - full authentication.
SSL certificate - is it worth it?
Before you learn about the benefits of implementing SSL, check if you should be interested in this solution. The principle here is simple: the certificate should be implemented on all websites that use or process the broadly understood personal data of the visitor in any way.
As mentioned, SSL secures any information that flows between the visitor's computer and the website's server and database. Do you have a form on your website in which you collect data, offer account registration, and you need to log in to your website? Do you run an online store, and thus your website supports payments? You need an SSL certificate!
[Tweet "Parties processing personal data should have an SSL certificate implemented"] Here are the specific types of pages that should come with an SSL certificate:
- online stores, auction sites, and other similar services that allow you to make payments via the Internet;
- banks;
- medical websites that offer appointments and an online patient card;
- school/university websites, offering a virtual diary or index, as well as allowing to manage the timetable;
- official and public administration websites, allowing users, for example, to send and complete documents, applications, declarations;
- Internet applications for e-mail;
- websites offering users to have their profiles and accounts (then we store private data of users - names, surnames, e-mail addresses).
10 facts that will convince you of SSL
![Why is Google crazy about SSL Certificate | SSL Certificates critical [2020]](https://webscoot.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Google-SSL.png)
You already know who SSL is intended for, but are still not convinced of the need for such a certificate? Please see the list below. We have gathered the top 10 reasons why you should buy an SSL certificate for your website and implement it successfully.
1. SSL Has a positive effect on SEO (positioning)
You should also be interested in an SSL certificate for SEO reasons. Why? The simplest answer is - because Google says so.
Remember, however, that SSL is worth having, but it will not make your website suddenly jump to the first place in the ranking. But if your site is competing with another for important (highly competitive) keywords, having an SSL certificate (assuming that the other party does not have one) is a chance to gain a better position and stay ahead of the competition. By the way, I strongly advise you to do a competitor analysis with this SEO tool, the Dedicated SEO Dashboard, to have all the information on your competitors and know how to beat them on specific keywords.
2. SSL certificates are reliable
The certificates must be reliable - while you can secure your website in different ways, there is always a risk that an attacker will manage to break the security. In the case of SSL, however, you can rest easy - the protection via SSL based on the TLS 1.2 protocol has not been broken in any way so far. As mentioned, if you have a website that processes personal data or payments, it is worth providing your customers with an appropriate level of security.
By having SSL on your website, you can be sure that the data sent from the client (web browser) to the server (your website) is fully encrypted with a 256-bit AES key. What does it mean? It's just that even if someone managed to intercept traffic on your website, they would still not be able to read any personal data, account numbers, or credit cards because everything is encrypted with an unbreakable algorithm.
3. Reliability and integrity of data
An SSL certificate is a guarantee of the credibility of a given website - if users send their data via a website equipped with an SSL certificate, they can be sure that it will reach the right recipient. The data transmitted from the browser (or to the browser) may not be modified in any way by third parties.
For example, one of the attacks is the so-called "Man in the middle". This consists of the fact that a third party intercepts data sent from the browser to the server (or received by the browser) and modifies it accordingly for its own purposes. SSL prevents this from happening because the data is - as we mentioned - encrypted, and it is not possible to modify it.
4. Additional protection against phishing
Phishing is a special method of stealing data from users - it consists in deceiving the user by "substituting" a fake website, confusingly similar to the one on which, for example, they log into the bank every day.
After accessing such a site, the victim does not notice the difference, but in reality, it is a website under a different domain, which does not direct to the bank - instead, it reads the login and password entered and then sends this data to the attacker. However, the attacker would lack one thing: an SSL certificate that would prove the authenticity of his / her website.
On the other hand, if you equip your website with an SSL certificate, you will confirm its authenticity and give users a clear sign that the page on which they are logging in is real and secure - a green padlock icon next to the address bar will be visible, indicating a confirmed certificate page.
5. More trust in the site
When a customer enters your website, they will immediately notice that you are using SSL - the browser will inform them about it with the green padlock icon in the address bar. This is always a good way to increase the prestige of your website and make it clear that you are a professional.
It's also important to build trust with potential customers. It is extremely important in online stores - if the user is going to buy something and pay with e.g. a credit card, the green padlock icon gives them a sense of security. They know that you take care of their data and protect them against thefts, e.g. access to the bank.
Also, even if someone does not notice the green lock icon, this is not the only way for a user to know if they are logging in or transferring data using a secure page. Services secured by SSL have a changed URL - instead of e.g., "Address appears". The HTTPS prefix is commonly known to indicate a secure connection to the website.
It is also worth adding that greater trust in the website reduces the bounce rate. The bounce rate is the percentage of visits to the website during which the user has not interacted with the website in any way. For example, someone might have come to a specific product page in your online store directly from the Google search engine, but after viewing the page, they have not decided to buy or even go to another product, article, or other subpages.
However, there is a link between SSL security and the bounce rate - it turns out that a visitor who is greeted with a green padlock icon in the address bar is more likely to stay longer on the site and go to other subpages. In this way, the bounce rate is reduced, which in turn - following this lead - has a positive effect on the website's position on Google.
6. Website with an SSL certificate - a global security standard
After attaching an SSL certificate, your website will offer world-class security and maintain an appropriate security standard. Nobody wants to be left behind - SSL is the future, and many believe that any website where users leave their data should be equipped with it. Logging in without SSL is simply dangerous.
7. A way to increase turnover in the online store
If you run an online store and want to process payments by credit card, you will definitely need SSL. Apart from the fact that - as mentioned above - it offers data security and guarantees the reliability of your website, the SSL certificate is one of the requirements set by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.
It was created to ensure a high level of security standards in situations where the data of credit card holders is processed. Having an SSL certificate will allow you to use various payment methods based on credit cards. Additionally, users will be more likely to shop at your store if they see that the website is SSL protected. This will guarantee them not only the security of payments but also increase the sense of privacy and protection of their personal data.
8. SSL is required to integrate the store with Facebook
Facebook is a great way to reach new customers. If you run a company profile there, it is possible to integrate the Store functions in it, so that users can make purchases directly on the social network. The store on Facebook can be fully integrated with your normal store, for example, inventory levels can be updated in it while making purchases. However, there is one condition: if you want to run a Facebook store and integrate it with your store, you must have an SSL certificate.
9. Cheap (or free) and easy to implement
It is also worth mentioning that the cost of issuing an SSL certificate is either cheap or free. Implementation of SSL on the website is also hassle-free, so if you run an online store, this small amount is worth investing in. When it comes to issuing an SSL certificate, it is also worth noting that there is not only one forced model.
Different companies offer different SSL certificates like Semalt.com - ones that are intended for more or less demanding users. Some certificates may, for example, only work within one domain (and are therefore cheaper), while others (more expensive) may, in turn, cover your subdomains. The offer can be adapted to the profile of the website and the size of the wallet, which should be considered a very big plus.
10. How to install an SSL certificate?
As a user, you don't need to do anything. You can ask your hosting administrator to install the certificate. In some companies, installation takes place automatically after ordering and paying for the service. If you are a more advanced user and have access to Direct Admin, you can install the certificate yourself by pasting the generated key.