Do you put on your seat belt when driving? Do you stare directly at a solar eclipse like the orange guy? Do I really need SSL?
The answer is obvious for the first two but perhaps not for the third.
If you want a website or blog in 2022 then you most definitely need an SSL certificate. It is no longer an option, it is now a necessity. The best thing is that we offer them for free in our hosting packages so you can be sure that you can secure your website.
SSL Protects Data
The main function of an SSL certificate is to protect the communication which takes place between the client and the server. This ensures that every bit of information is encrypted. This simply means that the data you send – be it credit card details, password or any other data you enter, is safe, it is locked and cannot be unlocked until it arrives at its destination.
SSL encryption protects your data from anyone else peeking at it on its journey from A to B.
SSL Authenticates Your Identity
The second major task of an SSL Certificate is to provide authentication to a website. Verifying the identity of a website is incredibly important, it allows you to see that the website you are about to enter confidential details into is the correct one. There are many phishing and various other scams out there which aim to gain access to your login details. Entering your details into a website that is not as it seems could end up with your details being sold and resold on the dark web and black markets.
The identity of a website is verified through a certificate authority (CA). Depending on the type of certificate provided the certificate authority provides a certificate which donates that the website is the one which actually belongs to the company or person who says it does.
SSL Improves SEO
Having an SSL Certificate not only adds a great layer of protection but it also helps you rank better in searches. Google search prefers and ranks higher websites with SSL certificates. In 2014, Google made changes to its algorithm in order to place sites with HTTPS higher than non-secure HTTP. Ranking higher on search engines is a great reason to be secure if the other two weren’t already.
In 2018 Google made changes to their Google Chrome browser which flags up the page and stops it from loading and instead provides a warning not to continue on to the web page. Mozilla and Brave do not stop you from entering the site to the same degree but will warn users that the connection is not secure and they should not enter any private details.
SSL Allows You To Take Online Card Payments
If you accept or want to accept online payments then an SSL is key and invaluable. To receive an online payment your website must be Payment Card Industry compliant (PCI). Having this SSL is one of the requirements that need to be satisfied to become PCI compliant. Without it, your online business won’t be able to take payments using bank cards.
SSL Improves Customer Trust
Some argue SSL (Secure Socket Layer) should be renamed to TTL (Trust Transmitting Layer). Apart from encryption and authentication of a website, having an SSL certificate is seen as security by customers and internet users worldwide. Many people will not visit a site if it does not have an SSL Certificate.
To Sum Up
If your browser loaded a page saying this site is not secure, would you continue to the site and would you even consider purchasing it? Probably not, and that is the same for the majority of internet users. Many web hosts offer SSLs as part of the package so check with yours if you’re entitled to one if you aren’t there are many certificate authority’s that will supply you one.
