What is SSL and how does it work? As a website owner, you should know by now that Google has rolled out a Security Update that states all websites that do not have the required SSL Certificate must be stamped as, “Not Secure.”
Obviously, as a website owner, you do not want your company to appear as a website security threat to visitors and potential clients. The answer to this dilemma is a obtaining an SSL Certificate.
Like most site owners, you may be asking yourself, what is an SSL Certificate and how does it work? Not to worry; we will walk through what an SSL Certificate is, and how this security layer positively affects your website.
What Is SSL?
As you run your online business, be it an e-commerce site, a blog, or an informational website, one of the most important mechanisms that you need to keep in mind is creating a trusted environment where your customers can feel protected as they share their personal and/or payment information.
The next critical question is, “How does a website owner or blogger create a secure environment for users?” The answer is, “Installing an SSL Certificate.” In its most straightforward definition, SSL is an acronym that stands for, “Secure Sockets Layer.” In layman’s terms, this is a security layer used to establish a secure (encrypted) connection between a browser and a website.
Once you deploy SSL technology, you create an environment that is secure from cyber criminals and potential hackers. If you don’t know, in the online world, hackers and cyber criminals abound. To generate this security layer, you need to make sure that your website is running using an SSL Certificate. Make no mistake about it, this security level is a requirement in today’s online infrastructure.
Keep in mind, when it comes to completing online transactions; you will be asking customers to provide private information such as: credit card numbers, physical addresses, email addresses, account details, and other confidential data.
Here is a scary fact; if your website does not have an SSL Certificate installed, it means that it will be relatively easy for cyber criminals and hackers to gain access to the private data of your visitors and customers.
As a responsible website owner, you do not to jeopardize anyone’s private data. You want to protect visitors against security breaches if they decide to transact business with you, right? That is why it is imperative that you use an SSL Certificate to protect your company and your customer’s interest.
How Does SSL Work?
When you use an SSL Certificate in your website, it means that you are encrypting all information that is being shared on your site. It has a two-way process, when a customer shares and information to you, and when you share data with your customer too.
It means that no one can access this information except you and the customer. It is like adding a padlock that only you and the company knows. No one else would see the lock combination.
That Is How SSL Works
It makes sure that all data shared on your website is encrypted, meaning that users are protected from possible cyber-attacks. Even if hackers try to intercept the exchange of data, the only thing they will see is encrypted data.
How do visitors and potential customers know if your website has an SSL certificate? They look for two indications. The green padlock in the URL address bar, along with the HTTPS indication as seen in the below PIC.
