What is an SSL?
An SSL or Secure Sockets Layer, is a digital certificate that authenticates the identity of a website and encrypts information sent to the server. This ensures that sensitive data, such as credit card information, is safe from interception by malicious third parties. An SSL works by using a public key and a private key. The public key is used to encrypt data and the private key is used to decrypt data. This means that the data exchanged between the two parties is encrypted and cannot be read by anyone else.
How does an SSL work?
An SSL certificate secures your website by encrypting the data that is sent between your website and your visitor‘s web browser. This encryption makes it impossible for anyone to intercept and read the data that is being sent.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a server and a client—typically a web server (website) and a browser, or a mail server and a mail client (e.g., Outlook). SSL allows sensitive information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, and login credentials to be transmitted securely.
Normally, data sent between browsers and web servers is sent in plain text—leaving it vulnerable to eavesdropping. If an attacker is able to intercept all data being sent between a browser and a web server, they may be able to see and use that information. SSL creates an encrypted channel between a client and server, ensuring that all data passed between the two remains private and integral. This encryption is done using a public key and a private key. The public key is used to encrypt data and the private key is used to decrypt it. When a browser attempts to access a website that is protected by SSL, the web server will first send its SSL certificate to the browser. This certificate contains the public key that the browser needs to begin the secure session. Once the browser has received the server’s certificate, it will generate a unique symmetric key and encrypt it with the server’s public key. This key is then sent back to the server where it will be decrypted with the server’s private key. At this point, both the browser and the server have the same symmetric key that can be used to encrypt and decrypt all data that is exchanged between them. This data will remain encrypted even if it is intercepted by an attacker.
SSL is an important security measure for websites and web applications. It provides a number of advantages, including the following:
•SSL encrypts sensitive data that is transmitted between a browser and a web server, making it much more difficult for attackers to eavesdrop on and steal this data.
•SSL provides authentication, meaning that users can be confident that the website or web application they are interacting with is the one that it claims to be. This is accomplished through the use of digital certificates.
•SSL protects against man–in–the–middle attacks, in which an attacker intercepts communications between a browser and a web server and tries to impersonate one or both of them.
•SSL is a standard security technology that is supported by all major browsers and web servers.
Does my website need an SSL?
It depends on what type of website you have and what type of information is being transmitted. An SSL certificate is necessary for a website because it provides security for information that is exchanged between the website and its visitors. If you are running an ecommerce website or collecting any sensitive information from users, then you will need to install an SSL certificate to ensure that all data is encrypted. This is especially important for sites that handle sensitive information, such as credit card numbers or personal information. However, for most other types of websites, SSL is not necessary.
Additionally, Google has made it known that they do consider SSL when ranking a website. However, they have also said that it is not a major ranking factor. It’s possible that they use it as a signal of trustworthiness, or that they see it as a sign that the site is taking security seriously. It’s also possible that they simply use it as a tiebreaker between two otherwise equal sites.