Do you wonder what an SSL certificate is? And why is it crucial to have one? Well, this is the most common question asked by the users when setting up domains.
Security is one of the key elements with regards to web security and consequently, a major piece of it is scrambling the traffic which streams to and from sites. Big corporates like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft have been pushing SSL/TLS for better encryption, but still, it can be tricky and a bit expensive to implement.
In this article, we will be looking at all the essential things you should know about the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) for wider security. Let us begin with basic terms.
What is SSL?
A Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate defines as a process of encrypting data that is traveling across the Internet to make sure that the information is not intercepted for any attacks or illicit purposes. You can easily pick out if a website has an SSL certificate by looking at the address bar as it begins with HTTPS and not HTTP. The extra ‘s’ defines ‘secure’ and therefore most browsers display a ‘Lock’ icon which indicates an encrypted connection.
Impact of the SSL certificate on your domain
If you own an e-commerce website or transmit any kind of private data then it becomes crucial to have an SSL certificate. More specifically, if your website has user authentication for accessing restricted information, financial information, transferring or storing private information, or containing any kind of restricted information, needs to have an SSL certificate as proof of security and gaining trust from the users. When you are using the only HTTP, there seems to be a risk when exchanging the data as it can be collected and tampered with. Henceforth, all the reputable banks and e-commerce sites make use of SSL/TLS these days to ensure safe encryptions.
SSL/TLS seems to be finicky and difficult to implement for very large websites. The Certification Authorities (CA) association sells every different sort of computerized testaments that are utilized for site validation. Contingent upon the testament type, CA will confirm if the mentioned substance is genuine by shielding against any deceitful destinations. Be that as it may, the testaments are somewhat costly and consequently the faultfinders characterize its expense and intricacy to off-put. Additionally, the endorsements get lapsed and it is essential that IT administrators know where they must be restored.
When all is said and done, cybersecurity specialists have conceived various assaults in the past which have traded off with the SSL/TLS associations. Additionally, programming vulnerabilities like Heartbleed have happened in OpenSSL – the most utilized SSL application. It has additionally happened that the CAs have been hacked as the assailants make endorsements for sites that are utilized for phishing.
Types of SSL Certificates
Often, the users get confused when it comes to selecting the correct SSL certificate for their websites. We will be looking at the different types of SSL certificates along with their features and functionalities.
Domain Validation (DV)
DV is the most inexpensive or cheapest type of SSL certificate which is ideal for blogs and websites that do not process any form of personal data from the users as it only offers the basic encryption of the data. The certificate requires you to validate domain ownership but the validation process seems to be more time-consuming.
Organization Validation (OV)
This certificate is ought to be a little more premium than DV certificates as they have a minimum level of protection which is required by e-commerce websites and any other type of website which processes personal information from the user. DV certificates can be validated by yourself but OV certificates need to be validated under certificate authority and can be time-consuming.
Extended Validation (EV)
This is the type of SSL certificate that gives you the green text and padlock icon which is a more premium one than DV or OV. Also, it is one of the most popular certificates out there and especially among e-commerce sites. The validation process for EV is stricter when compared to other DV or OV.
SAN and Wildcards
These certificates allow you to encrypt multiple domains with just a single certificate. Hence, they are a lot more expensive when coming to the other alternatives. Wildcard certificates offer encryption for an unlimited number of subdomains under a single domain.
Wrap Up
Here, we come to the end of the article. We hope you have understood the guide of the security protocol on your website to get a simplified process. Moreover, there are various WordPress plugins that can be used when it comes to installing an SSL certificate into your website. You can also take the help of video tutorials available online for easy installation. Till then – keep learning!
About the Author: Charles Richard
Charles Richard is a progressive leader who can identify, initiate, and deliver the analysis that can leverage the data and information needed to generate increased business value. Charles has 8 years of Business Analyst Experience, all with TatvaSoft UK which provides web development services in London. And a part-time enthusiast writer who loves to write that matters and believes that writing is the best media to express what you want to share with the rest of the world.
NOTE: The opinions expressed in this guest article do not necessarily reflect SensorsTechForum’s opinion on the subject.
