You’ve probably noticed that some website URLs start with http while others begin with https. The s standfor secure encryption, which can only be guaranteed with an SSL certificate. It's common among sitesthat require users to hand over sensitive information such as credit card information, home addresses,and financial data.
Even if you haven’t noticed it before, it’s likely your website visitors have. Even a novice web user thesedays knows online fraud is on the rise and with it, it’s more important than ever to be able to determinewhether they are using a website with a secured web connection (SSL) or not.
The eCommerce world has many data breaches, and they’re rapidly growing. Every website owner should thinkabout bolstering their site security. Without SSL, your site visitors and customers are at higher riskof being having their data stolen. Your site security is also at risk without encryption. SSL protectswebsite from phishing scams, data breaches, and many other threats. Ultimately, It builds a secureenvironmentfor both visitors and site owners.
People treat non-https sites that ask for personal information with caution and so does Google. The searchengine is so determined to protect users from insecure websites, it’s taking whether or not a site hasan SSL certificate into consideration. For anyone hoping to make money online, this should be reasonenough to get one.
You might still be on the fence about adding SSL to your website. Does my site really need it? Is itnecessary?And finally, Which certificate do I need? Keep reading for answers.
Is SSL Necessary?
Let's start with the basics: What is SSL? An SSL certificate encrypts the data that goes from a user’scomputerto the target website and back. Every time a user enters information into your site, SSL makes sure itcan securely travel from their browser to your web server.
What does this mean for website owners? Websites communicate with their customers to share information, andso that they can buy products or services safely with you online. Without getting overly technical, addingan SSL certificate creates a safe connection for those kinds of activities. The most important thingto grasp about SSL is that anything that needs to be secure online should under the protective umbrellaof an SSL certificate.
You might have gone to some lengths to bolster your site security but without SSL, it's unlikely to beenough.Website are free to operate online without an SSL certificate, but you must ask yourself whether youwant to take the chance that yours is susceptible to hacking? Probably not.
It was once sufficient to depend solely on basic antivirus software and firewalls for the protection of yourbusiness and home computer. That’s no longer the case; today’s users are bombarded with malware. Securingcustomer trust and confidence should be up there with the most critical factors to consider for anyoneoperating a business online.
Consider the motivation behind any external party getting hold of your visitors data. Their intention won'tbe good; it's most likely their purpose is to manipulate the information or use it for identity theft.As such, the onus is on the website, or online business to take active steps to counter these measures,in a effort to look after these customers. In doing so, you’re ensuring continual confidence in the useof your web services, higher customer retention and, more importantly, the reduction of data theft.
To sum up, an SSL certificate is more than protect your transactions and your customers’ private information.It will also help to build trust between you and your customer base all the while making your businessmore reputable.
SSL Encryption Offers the Following Advantages
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High encryption levels of up to 256-bit to protect user’s sensitive information.
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Provides strong encryption to protect the users’ information from phishing scams & attacks.
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Protects websites from attack, reducing the risk of hacking, eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks.
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Can provide a positive influence in Google’s evaluation of your website.
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Establishes a safe shopping experience - It’s necessary for websites accepting payments.
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Proves your business authentication and increase your brand reputation by validating your Business from Trusted Certificate Authority (CA)
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Displays Green Address Bar along with Organization Name (Only for EV SSL).
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Enhance user’s trust & confidence while increasing your organization’s profits - Users trust the website with the ‘secure connection’ sign.
Finally, SSL saves you money. Think about it, a security breach is a legal problem, and any customer datacompromised as a result of one could result in substantial legal repercussions for the company. Employingpreventive measures will save a lot of financial issues such as these in the long run. Adding SSL tonot compromise on maintaining web security both to protect your customers and also the welfare of yourbusiness.
Is SSL Required for my Site?
If you're not sure whether your site has SSL, you can easily find out by checking the URL of the site. Ifit starts with HTTP, you aren't secure, and if it begins with HTTPS, then your website has an SSLcertificate.Some internet browsers have began publicly shaming sites without SSL. Different browsers have imposeddifferent indicators of whether a site is secure. For example, Google Chrome will signal the site is‘not-secure’ in the browser bar while Firefox will label them ‘non-secure’.
You might want to think about adding an SSL certificate to your website is if any of your pages are passwordprotected. This especially includes WordPress or other database-driven sites with a login page for theadministrator. Anyone with access to this login can modify your pages or take your entire site down.
Today, an e-commerce world has many online data breaches, and they are rapidly growing over the internet,so every website owner must have an SSL Certificate to encrypt user’s information & keep them safe andsecure on the internet.
To summarize, these are the reasons your website needs SSL:
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If your site has a login, you need SSL to secure usernames and passwords.
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If you are using forms that ask for sensitive customer information, you need SSL to stop your customer data from being appropriated by hackers.
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If you're an ecommerce site, you may need an SSL certificate.
Do I Have Logins to Secure?
Not everyone collects money online. Some websites collect information. This could be anything from newslettersubscription forms to subscription to a newsletter. If your site has forms that ask for even the mostbasic information, such as name, phone number, email address and home address, you should be using SSL.
Any site with forms asking for user information should make sure their web forms are secure. Without an SSLcertificate, these forms can be intercepted, easily. Technically, whenever a user inputs data in differentfields in your website that information directly goes to a server or stored elsewhere. This way ofexchanginginformation is easy for even beginner hackers to intercept.
Chances are your clients would not want that information leaked and will avoid using your services if there’sa chance this could happen. Not having SSL on your site could impact on sales and subscriptions due tovisitors not filling out forms on unsecured pages. If you have SSL Certificate installed, you becamea trusted owner of your user information and securing them.
Do I Use Forms With Sensitive Customer Information?
If your site has a way users can log in with a username and password, then you should think about using anSSL Certificate on your login page. Without it, their passwords are transmitted in plain text and couldbe intercepted by hackers anywhere along the journey from their computer to where your website serveris located.
Do You Have an E-commerce Site That Stores Credit Card Information?
Credit cards and social security numbers are two of the most notable types of sensitive data that need anSSL certificate. It's unlikely anyone would want to put their customers at risk of having their creditcard information stolen while using your site?
E-commerce sites may need an SSL certificate. If you are or plan on accepting major credit cards online,you need a merchant account - most of them require you to use an SSL certificate. If the eCommerce websitehas no SSL, visitors may abandon the shopping cart and as a result, sales will suffer.
Not every e-commerce site needs SSL
Some websites use e-commerce shopping cart tools that come with their secure payment system. In these cases,a third party handles the credit cards or provides another method of paying online. If you use a thirdparty payment gateway and the sensitive data is processed at the gateway's website, then you don't needSSL.
Let's use Paypal as an example. When a customer buy items from your website, and you send them to a sitelike Paypal, paypal processes the payments. Paypal has the SSL certificate so it can safely contactsthe bank and finishes the transaction on your behalf. For this kind of e-commerce, because your websiteis not capturing sensitive data, you do not need an SSL certificate.
What if I None of the Above Apply to Me?
There are other reasons, however, to add an SSL. If your website doesn’t collect sensitive data, like creditcards or social security numbers, you may not have needed an SSL certificate in the past. However, withthe new browser notifications, it’s now essential to ensure every website has an SSL certificate andis loaded via HTTPS.
SSL and Google
While the real purpose of SSL is securing information between the visitor and your site, there are otherbenefits, namely pleasing Google and the opportunity for a page rank boost. Google is serious about itsbrowser security, and has taken the stance that ALL data submitted to Google listed websites should besecured with SSL.
From October 2017, Google launched the new version (version 62) of Google Chrome, and this version wouldshow a “NOT SECURE” warning when users enter text in a form on an HTTP page (meaning pages without anSSL certificate) that collect passwords or credit cards as non-secure, as part of a long-term plan tomark all HTTP sites as non-secure.
The idea is that website browsers know the information is going over the internet unencrypted. No doubt thiswill have a profound impact on user experience. No one wants to go to a website labeled not secure. Popularbrowser Firefox has taken a slightly different approach to highlighting insecure sites. They highlightthe password box with a special note about insecure forms.
As much as these may seem like harsh measures on behalf of Google, it is rewarding HTTPS websites with afavorable ranking over insecure sites in their search engine results.
Which SSL Should I Use?
There are different ways to show visitors that your site is secure. There are certificates to let your sitevisitors see the SSL belongs to a verified organization whereas basic versions simply show HTTPS in yourweb address.
Different websites have different requirements for the type of SSL they need. The one appropriate for yourdomain depends on a few factors. To evaluate your needs against the different types of SSL certificates,ask yourself the following questions:
How many domain names do I need to secure?
Single-domain SSLs cover just one domain or a subdomain. These are available as Standard, OV, andEV. To secure multiple subdomains, opt for a Wildcard SSL, for example, you might secureyourdomain.comwhich would also cover any subdomains such as blog.yourdomain.com and shop.yourdomain.com. WildcardSSL is available as Standard or OV certificates.
Can I use a Shared SSL or do I need my own certificate?
Both Shared as well as Dedicated SSL fulfill the primary aim of SSL, both transmit data in encryptedform over networks. Whether to use Shared SSL or opt for Dedicated SSL depends on your specificneeds, as well as how much money you have to spend. One of the main differences in using a sharedor dedicated SSL is the how the URL will appear to your visitors.
A Shared SSL URL will look something like this:https://yourservername.yourhost.com/. While with dedicated SSL, the URL is determined byyou, either as another registered domain or as a subdomain of your website domain name. Optingfor a secure, private URL would look more like this:https://yourname.com/.
Many people are drawn to the shared SSL certificate because it's quick, convenient and cheaper.Savingmoney on a less costly shared certificate could leave free up some money free to use for otherthings. On the other hand, if your dream is to build your online business into something highprofile, making a lot of sales, it might be worth it to spend extra on getting a dedicated SSLcertificate.
My Website Isn’t Secure. What Should I Do Next?
If you are running an E-commerce, online services or some other business where your users have to put theircredentials, SSL Certificate is a must for you. However, if you are running a small blog or magazinewebsite you also need SSL Certificate. Since Google officially announced that security of your site isalso a ranking factor, all websites should take note.
Many legitimate certificate authorities and hosting providers offer SSL certificates. To get your SSLcertificate,you just need to verify your domain name and business ownership, and it's as simple as that. SSLCertificatesare available for free, and there are premium versions available now for a decent price. Anyone can getSSL certificate easily to avail the benefits of their security, their visitors security and their Googleranking.
For more information about the types of certificates available and how to set them up,here is a helpful guide.Once you’re ready to make your site secure, take advantage of one ofNamecheap's highly competitive SSL certificates. We offer easyset-up certificates for small websites,businesses big and small, as well as multi-domain solutions.
