With the advancement of the internet, the number of solutions for improved website security grows, as does the creativity of cybercriminals. Organisations like Google have been striving to make the internet a safer place for several years by encouraging website owners to utilize the HTTPS protocol, which ensures that data sent from your computer to the site you’re browsing is encrypted and safely transmitted. One solution that can make a big difference is the use of an SSL certificate for your website.
What is an SSL certificate?
SSL safeguards your sensitive information as it travels across the world’s computer networks, and it is the backbone of our secure Internet. Even if your website does not handle sensitive information such as credit cards, SSL is required for security. For both your websites and your users’ personal information, it delivers privacy, crucial security, and data integrity.
There are many advantages to using an SSL certificate. Below we will look at some of the main advantages of this form of cybersecurity:
SSL Encrypts Sensitive Information
SSL is primarily used to encrypt sensitive information transferred over the Internet so that only the intended receiver has access to it. This is significant because the information sent via the Internet gets passed from computer to computer before arriving at the destination server. If your credit card numbers, usernames and passwords, and other sensitive information is not secured with an SSL certificate, any machine between you and the server can read it. When you use an SSL certificate, the information becomes unreadable to everyone except the server to which you’re sending it. This keeps it safe from identity thieves and hackers.
SSL Provides Authentication
A valid SSL certificate not only encrypts data but also authenticates it. This ensures that you are providing information to the correct server and not to a hacker attempting to steal your data. What is the significance of this? Because of the nature of the Internet, your clients will frequently transfer information through multiple computers. Any of these systems could impersonate your website and fool your visitors into sending personal data. This can only be avoided by purchasing an SSL Certificate from a reputable SSL supplier.
SSL Provides Trust
Visual clues, such as a lock icon or a green bar, are provided by web browsers to ensure that visitors are aware when their connection is secure. When consumers perceive these signs, they will have a higher level of trust in your website and will be more likely to buy from you. SSL suppliers, like 1-grid, will also supply you with a trust seal, which will increase your clients’ trust in you.
HTTPS also shields you against phishing scams. A phishing email is one that is sent by a criminal who is attempting to imitate your website. The email frequently contains a link to their own website or employs a man-in-the-middle attack to impersonate your domain name. They won’t be able to fully imitate your site because obtaining a good SSL certificate is quite tough for these thieves. This means that your users will be significantly less likely to fall for a phishing scam because they will be seeking trust indications in their browser, such as a green address bar, which they will not see.
Final Thoughts on an SSL Certificate
To summarize, the advantages of using SSL certificates for your business or personal website are enormous, and some web hosting providers have made the process of establishing them simple and quick. Don’t lose out on the HTTPS revolution by adding an extra layer of protection to your website and earning your users’ trust.
