What are the benefits of having a SSL certificate?

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is a cryptographic protocol whose primary objective is to keep the communication safe on the internet. The certificate is a digitally signed file issued for a particular domain name. The certificate contains the issuer signature, serial number, expiration date.

Speaking of expiration dates, monitoring those on SSL certificates is critical in case you don’t want the website to stop working. That’s where our SSL API can come in handy.

Before we get to that, the certificate has to be first installed on the server, and once the installation is complete, you can access services via HTTPS or any other SSL protocols like FTPs, etc. Here are some major benefits of using an SSL certificate:

Protects sensitive information

SSL certificates protect sensitive information like login, passwords, account details and cardholder’s information. With SSL all the information is encrypted before being submitted, and only the web server and the website visitor have personal keys to decode it and recognize it. It protects the information from eavesdropping and tampering of information from hackers and thieves.

Ensures trustworthiness

An SSL certificate guarantees the trustworthiness of the website. Trusted SSL certificates are issued by the certificate authorities only when the applicant passes the verification procedures. Most of the modern browsers trust the SSL certificates issued by the authorities. The verification depth and trust level depend on the type of certificate. Domain validation, organization validation and extended validation are three basic kinds of certificates.

Domain validation

Here only the domain owner is required to be validated by the certificate authority (CA). It is an entry-level certificate for the smaller organizations.

Organization validation

It is a medium level certificate that is intended for medium level organizations. In these, the domain ownership, as well as business, has to be validated by the certificate authority.

Extended validation

It brings the highest level of encryption and trust. These kinds of certificates are mainly used by large organizations, e-commerce business, social networks and government sector organizations.

Boosts search rankings

From August 2014, Google announced that having an SSL certificate installed on your website will increase the ranking position and this is another significant reason to use SSL.

Increases visitor loyalty

If your site has user accounts with personal data, then you may need the SSL certificate in any way. When the visitors know that their information is protected, they are more likely to keep coming back.

More shoppers visit

If you are running an online store, you can expect you, shoppers, to see whether you have SSL or not. In the absence of an SSL certificate, the shoppers might not be interested in your website let alone the products offered on it.

How to get one?

Buying an SSL certificate is very simple if you are clear about your requirements. It can be slightly tricky if you don’t have the knowledge about SSL certificates. You need to set-up your server and make sure that your WHOIS record is up-to date. You may also need a certificate signing request from the server. Then you’ll have to submit the CSR and other much-needed information to Certificate Authority (CA) for the SSL product you have purchased. Once you have completed the validation for the domain and if your company if the certificate requires it. Once you get the certificate, you’ll have to install the certificate on the server.

In the end

With an SSL certificate, your business gets more professional, and your website becomes more trustworthy. For an even more in-depth article of all benefits of having an SSL certificate, check out this article.