What is an SSL certificate, how do you set it up, and why is it worth making sure your website has one? Let’s look at how the available types of SSL differ, and what to pay particular attention to when choosing a certificate for your business.
An SSL certificate guarantees security online, for both the server and the client. Today it’s a baseline requirement when building or launching a website, because it tells future visitors that their data is fully protected and secured. As a security indicator, a padlock icon appears on the left side of the browser’s address bar, and it confirms a secure data connection between the client and the server.
An SSL certificate ensures the security of data transmission. If you want to be sure your website will run without any issues, it’s worth entrusting it to specialists in server administration. They will then take care of security monitoring, updates, and maintenance for the servers between which your site’s user data is transmitted.
What is an SSL certificate?
An SSL certificate, short for Secure Socket Layer, is a credential that verifies the authenticity of a domain, or of a domain and its owner. The certificate confirms and, at the same time, guarantees the security of encrypting data transmitted between the user and the server. On a secured site, our data is carried over the HTTPS protocol, rather than being exposed to third parties.
Using the SSL protocol accomplishes three tasks:
- it encrypts data transmitted between the server and the client (i.e. the browser)
- it verifies the server’s identity
- it verifies the client’s identity
SSL in practice
Let’s take a close look at how a site with an SSL certificate works compared to one without. The main difference, apart from the padlock icon, in how sites are encrypted lies in the HTTP and HTTPS protocols. For an unsecured site, the address begins with the http protocol. The data transfer process looks as follows:
- The user types the site’s address into the browser.
- The browser sends a signal to the server.
- The server sends back the data needed to display the site.
With an SSL certificate, in addition to securing the site, we also secure the data transfer between the browser and the server. The site’s address begins with the https protocol. In this case, the communication process is more elaborate:
- The user types the site’s address into the browser.
- The browser sends a signal to the server.
- The server sends authentication data (a copy of the SSL protocol) back to the browser.
- The browser verifies the certificate’s source and validity.
- If the check passes, a secure connection is established.
- Data transmitted between the server and the browser is now protected.
Why is it worth having an SSL certificate?
The SSL protocol works with many different cryptographic algorithms and ciphers, used in operations for mutually authenticating the server and client, transmitting certificates, or negotiating session keys. Implementing SSL is a very important part of building a website’s overall structure. It gives every visitor a clear signal that their data is fully secured and protected. The lack of a certificate can lead to serious problems, including poor rankings in search engines. The main reasons for implementing the SSL protocol are:
Security
An SSL certificate is the single most important credential confirming a website’s security. Since data is transmitted over the internet constantly, it’s worth making sure your visitors’ data protection is guaranteed. Securing a site with an SSL certificate also helps protect it against phishing — tricking users with a fake, nearly identical copy of the site. The padlock icon and the https protocol give users a clear message that the credentials they’re logging in with are properly protected, and that the site is genuine and trustworthy.
Credibility
An SSL certificate guarantees a site’s credibility, confirming at the same time that our data reaches the right recipient. Otherwise, it could end up with third parties who could modify that data. An SSL certificate is proof of the professionalism of the company a visitor is dealing with. Greater trust among internet users also lowers the bounce rate — the percentage of site visits during which a user takes no action on the site at all.
SEO
Higher rankings in search engines are another reason in favor of an SSL certificate. One of the factors search engines use to rank a site is the https protocol, which you get through a certificate. If you want to improve your Google ranking, in addition to valuable content, a responsive site, and fast load times, it’s also worth making sure your data transmission is secure.
Types of SSL certificates
There are three types of SSL certificates used to protect websites. They break down as follows:
- Domain Validation (DV) — the basic certificate type, which provides full security, data transmission integrity, and confidentiality through SSL technology. The information recorded in the certificate concerns only the domain — the owner of the SSL technology using it is not identified.
- Organization Validation (OV) — this certificate confirms the identity of the entity the certificate is issued for. This information is verified by a trusted certificate authority, which lets users view and verify the organization’s details
- Extended Validation (EV) — the highest level of security, guaranteeing that the applicant has undergone thorough verification. In this case, the company name is displayed and the padlock icon appears in green. This type of protection guarantees full security for transmitted data.
Implementation and costs
Implementing an SSL certificate can be either paid or free. The paid version typically costs somewhere between PLN 100 and PLN 1,000 per year. A free SSL certificate also guarantees a site’s security and provides an encrypted internet connection. The main difference is a shorter license period for the free version, which needs to be renewed more often. Choosing the paid option automatically means a higher cost for maintaining the site.
When implementing SSL on a site, it’s worth paying attention to:
- changing the redirect from the http prefix to https
- linking only to pages on secured sites
- checking that site resources (graphics or multimedia) are being delivered over a secure connection
- updating the address in Google Analytics and Google Search Console
An SSL certificate provides privacy and credibility between the communicating server and client. SSL allows the server and client to authenticate each other and negotiate an encryption algorithm before the actual data exchange begins. Today, the SSL protocol is a standard, especially since it can be installed on your own or is available as part of hosting providers’ services.