Have you ever had the impression that when you browse the Internet, some sites have a difference in URLs: “http: //” or “https: //”? Surely you have noticed the padlock marking the site as “Secure”. These markings indicate sites that have an active SSL certificate, which protects the information passing through them.
Since July 2018 sites that do not have an ssl certificate are already shown as untrusted
If you have a website that does not yet have an SSL certificate activated , it is imperative that you familiarize yourself with this technology. From the beginning of July 2018, with the release of version 68, one of the most used browsers in the world, Google Chrome began to show sites without SSL certificates as unreliable.
In 2015 Mozilla also said it would restrict sites without an SSL certificate in the coming years , but has not yet set a deadline for when this will happen. These changes are caused by the desire to make the Internet even more secure and secure for its users.
A 2017 survey conducted in Australia, England and the United States found that between 77% and 85% of users would not browse sites without a “green padlock”. This means that if your site does not have an SSL certificate, the trust of over 77% of users who log in falls, and they would not continue browsing.
What Is an SSL Certificate?
Simply put, the URL “https: //” means that the site is secure and the information that passes through it is encrypted. All this is due to the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate. It is a security technology, a cryptographic protocol that encrypts the server-user connection, making it confidential. In this way, your users’ personal data – credit card numbers, e-mail addresses, phone numbers and other personal information that users fill in on a site – remain protected from “eavesdropping”, theft and use for suspicious purposes by third parties.
SSL is often used by sites such as online stores, social platforms, webmail and other web pages through which data is entered or online payments are made. We strongly recommend the use of an SSL certificate for every site, regardless of whether online payments are made through it or there is mainly a presentation function of your business in the online space. In this sense, every site needs an SSL certificate. The purpose of an SSL certificate is to encrypt the data , to validate a business on the Internet and to ensure a reliable connection between the user and the site.
The Benefits of Having an SSL Certificate on Your Site
- Customer data protection
- More online sales
- Increased trust and online reputation
- SEO optimization and increased Google ranking
- Greater speed for your website using HTTP / 2 protocol
- You can see more about the benefits of SSL certificates here.
How Does an SSL Certificate Protect Your Sites?
The SSL certificate uses encryption to protect the connection between the server that hosts your site and the user who logs in. All information passes through an encrypted channel and the data cannot be read by unauthorized persons and malware. In this way, all data that the user enters remains protected.
The effect of an SSL certificate goes unnoticed by people browsing the site. The cryptographic protocol does not affect the operation of one page and gives a 100% guarantee for a secure connection.
How Do You Know if Your Site Needs an SSL Certificate?
As we have already said, every site needs an SSl certificate – whether you run an online store, a presentation site or a personal blog. Of course, you could start a new online project without using an SSL certificate. But if your site is growing and you want to legitimize your business in the online space, it is good to protect it. Moreover, after the release of the new version of Chrome in 2018, the activation of the SSL certificate has become mandatory for every website that exists.
Free SSL Let’s Encrypt Certificate
There are free SSL certificate suitable for any website. They only provide connection encryption and validate the domain, do not provide a cash guarantee in the event of a breach and do not validate the business. However, they are a good alternative when you do not have the budget for another type of SSL certificate, but want to secure the personal data of your users.
With their help you will show your customers that you care about the security of the information they provide you and at the same time you will increase your Google ranking. Most of the hosting companies have implemented in their systems the possibility for SSL activation with just a few clicks. Shared Hosting users can activate the free certificate for their site through their cPanel control panel.
Mandatory Use of SSL Certificate With Transition to HTTP / 2
It is good to keep in mind that with the update and the transition to the HTTP / 2 protocol, it obliges your site to be secured with an SSL certificate. The HTTP / 2 protocol increases the speed of your site, improves its SEO performance and increases the level of security.
SSL Certificates and the New GDPR Regulation
The global trend in recent years has led to the optimization and protection of the web space. Another step towards this goal was the introduction of a single regulation for personal data protection GDPR, which aims to increase the security of personal data of citizens of the European Union and determines the way in which information is collected, stored and processed. One of the main recommendations for improving its protection is the regulation defining encryption. By using an SSL certificate, you can be sure that you collect the information of your users in a secure way and it will not be “dried” by malicious individuals.