SSL is the standard security protocol used by millions of websites to encrypt their online transactions with their customers. By creating a secure link between an Internet browser and a web server, SSL ensures that all information transmitted between the browser and the server remains private.
The SSL certificate is an essential tool for anyone conducting business online. Not only does adding an SSL certificate to your site help protect your business, but it also reassures your partners that your website is a safe. An SSL certificate is a clear, visual confirmation that your business has taken the necessary steps to ensure your website is a trustworthy place to conduct business.
An SSL certificate ensures the secure communication of sensitive information as it's transferred from the web browser to the web server. The SSL certificate encrypts data at the time it is submitted to a website, thereby preventing hackers from reading the information as it travels across the information superhighway. Once the information has reached the intended recipient, the data is decrypted into its original, usable form.
Since Netscape first began offering the SSL protocol as a security technology in 1996, online customers have been instructed to look for a padlock symbol in the address bar of their browsers before providing sensitive personal information over the Internet. Today, customers associate the padlock symbol with integrity and trust. The padlock represents an encrypted link between you and the customer and shows that your website is a legitimate business or an accountable legal entity.
Your website visitors can check the authenticity of an SSL certificate and verify the ownership of your website. The ability to validate the ownership of your web domain and other details concerning the legitimacy of your organization gives customers added peace of mind when doing business with you online.
A common misconception is that an SSL Certificate is only needed if you accept credit card payments through your website. However, an SSL certificate is just as important if you collect data communication between a customer and your website, ensuring personal information such as name & addresses, support requests and more are kept private.
