We all know how important it is to keep your data safe online, after all, you don’t want anyone stealing your personal details and using it for any form of criminal activity.
With online crime being a constant issue, being aware of the dangers around the internet is paramount. Any business operating a website needs to ensure they have security measures in place to prevent such information being stolen. An SSL Certificate – (Secure Socket Layer) not only acts as a website security measure, but has other benefits as we will discuss.
So what exactly is an SSL Certificate and what does it actually do?
If you look at the top of this pages’ browser, you will see in our address bar the letters “HTTPS” (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure) in front of it. The “S” means that we’re secure, so all communications between our browser and you, and any other visitor to this website are encrypted.
This is very important to note when you access a website that requires your personal data.
Reasons Why You Need An SSL Certificate
1. It Builds Trust
By the end of 2017, Google started flagging websites without SSL certification as “Not Secure” to ensure safer browsing for everyone.
Google made clear its intentions to formally mark websites without SSL Certificates as insecure. Having this notification on your website decreases the visitors trust that the website they are visiting is insecure and information supplied could be infiltrated by a third party.
2. Prevent Information Theft
When someone submits their details on a website, that information travels through a channel of computers before it gets to where it’s intended. Because of this, the likelihood of this information being stolen is high.
However, this possibility is significantly reduced when you have an SSL certificate, as it encrypts the information so that it’s only readable or accessed by intended parties. If someone tries to steal that information, they’ll be required to have the encryption key such as random characters to read the information submitted.
3. It Improves Search Engine Ranking
Every online business wants to rank highly on search engines. This increases visibility and chances of gaining traffic to your website, potentially converting visitors into actual customers.
Google has mentioned that secure websites will have a slightly better search ranking than those without, and for most, the first page results have an HTTPS address. A secure website means you’re reliable, trustworthy and ‘legal,’ letting you stay ahead of your competitors.
Your visitors will trust you and so will search engines.
4. You will Future Proof your Website
The internet is forever evolving its security. With SSL certificates, you have a leading advantage against hackers even though this is not the ultimate defence.
The unfortunate reality is there is always someone out there online trying to steal your data for their gain, and security is paramount. Protecting your website as well as the information of those who visit your site is imperative.
In the past having an SSL Certificate was normally only used for e-commerce websites, now it is an essential part of any website regardless. Every website built by AOG Design has SSL Certificate installed as an essential requirement.
How do I get an SSL Certificate?
SSL Certificates can be obtained by your hosting provider. Some configuration may be required to your website depending on how the site has been built and Content Management System used.
If you need help with installing an SSL Certificate for your website get in touch today.