SSL is the foundation of the secure Internet and protects your sensitive information as it travels over the world’s computer networks. The SSL certificate protocol is essential to protect your website, even if it does not deal with sensitive information such as credit cards. It ensures the confidentiality, critical security and data integrity of your websites and the personal information of your users.
Some Reasons to Use an SSL Security Certificate
Protect yourself from hackers
You should be extremely careful on phishing sites. It is an almost perfect replica of an original and genuine site and there are many techniques tricking you into giving you sensitive information.
But SSL identifies what we humans can’t always do and ensures that these bogus sites will never see the light of day.
It is difficult and impossible for fake sites to acquire SSL certificates. When customers are warned about the absence of an SSL certificate, they avoid falling into the trap of these fake sites.
Moreover, the SSL certificate will help you protect your website against eavesdropping attacks, man-in-the-middle attacks, and sniffing attacks.
Boost search engine rankings and increase brand value
Several months ago, Google updated its algorithm and added HTTPS as a ranking signal in search results. If your website is secured with an SSL certificate and your web URL starts with a secure HTTPS protocol, you get a search engine ranking advantage.
Using SSL dramatically improves users’ perception of your brand. When your site is signed by a trusted third-party certificate, your customers are assured that they are on a valid and trusted site. They will be less worried about security and will engage with you more effectively.
Secure payments for safe shopping
No one will dare to send their credit card information through a simple HTTP website. It is also mandatory for a professional site to have an SSL certificate to meet the PCI security standards defined by the payment card industries.
Without the use of SSL, commercial sites cannot even dream of successfully completing a credit card transaction. By using SSL, visitors will find your website more reliable and can shop securely over the HTTPS site.
It is mandatory for an online store site to have an SSL certificate to meet the PCI security standards set by the payment card industries.
Build Trust with Extended Authentication
Customers are increasingly sensitive to security. Since a lot of sensitive information, such as bank passwords and personal information, is exchanged over a cloud platform, a secure authentication mechanism must be provided to ensure data protection.
SSL achieves this exploit by issuing a server certificate along with the SSL certificate. This server certificate increases the trust factor of the service provided and helps the client to verify if you are who you claim to be.
Certificate authorities follow a different validation process to authenticate the trustworthiness of your business. The process depends on the certificate you choose: domain validation, organization validation, and extended validation. The domain validation certificate verifies that only the domain authentication and organization validation certificate validates the trustworthiness of your business when the Extended Validation (EV) SSL certificate confirms the existence of your business and its trustworthiness by confirming legal documents. It ensures that the site is highly authenticated and secure to conduct online transactions by displaying the “Green Bar” security mark.
The strongest encryption to secure information
All information transferred over an SSL connection is encrypted and no interceptor could decipher your information. You can therefore be assured that the information will always only reach the intended parties.
Encryption algorithms such as RSA, DSA, and ECC are currently used by most certificate authorities. As credit card data and other confidential information travel between the web server and users’ browsers, the site will be secured with strong encryption (eg, SHA256-bit encryption) that leaves no room for hackers to intercept the transmission of information. You can therefore be assured that the information will always only reach the intended parties.
Now we all know that HTTPS is a clear indicator of secure website and no one is monitoring your personal information in secure communication channel. This will prove the authenticity of your business and assure your visitors that the website is genuine and safe for online transactions. As a website owner, it is your responsibility to provide a secure environment for your visitors and customers. therefore, you must purchase an SSL certificate from trusted certificate authorities and configure it on your web server.
How to choose the right SSL certificate for your website
Level 1: domain validation
This is the lowest level of authentication used to issue SSL certificates. The certificate authority will issue this certificate to anyone listed as a domain administrator contact in the public record associated with a domain name.
As a result, DV certificates are issued very quickly. No company information is verified or displayed on the certificate, making it easier for criminals to obtain this type of certificate from irresponsible CAs.
When to use a DV certificate
Situations in which trust and credibility are less important, because it is:
- Easy to get.
- Handed out quickly.
- Use only for non-phishing or fraud-proof web applications. Do not use for public-facing sites or sites handling sensitive data, such as logins.
Level 2: OV organization validation
Organization validation is DV’s most secure solution. In addition to verifying ownership of the domain name, the CA will also perform additional verification of the organization and person requesting the certificate. This may include verifying the address where the company is registered and the name of a specific contact. This validated company’s information is displayed on the certificate for visitors, making site ownership much more visible.
When to use an OV SSL certificate
- Public-facing websites dealing with less sensitive transactions.
- More thorough validation process than DV.
- Company information is displayed to users.
- Provides a certain level of trust in the company that owns the site.
- Does not offer the highest trust display available, such as EV SSL (green navigation bar).
Level 3: EV Extended Validation
This is the gold standard for SSL certificates. The EV Verification Guidelines, established by the CA/Browsers forum, require the CA to perform a much more rigorous identity check on the organization or individual requesting the certificate.
Sites with an EV SSL certificate have a green browser address bar and a field containing the name of the website’s rightful owner and the name of the certificate authority that issued the certificate.
When to use an EV certificate
This certificate is recommended for e-commerce sites and websites dealing with credit cards and other sensitive data. Use EV SSL to get the best possible display of online trust:
- Comes with green browser address bar.
- Increase user trust and reduce bounce rates and shopping cart abandonments.
- Recoup the additional cost of an EV certificate in the form of increased revenue.
- Boost your credibility and your brand by showcasing your commitment to online safety.
If you need an SSL certificate and help adding it to your site
do not hesitate to send us a hello!
