Not many web users are aware of the purpose of SSL Certificates or what its main purpose is. As the internet continues to grow, it’s important to know every bit of security that must be installed and learned as you continue to be a web user.
To begin with, what is SSL? SSL Certificate also known as a “digital certificate” in installed on a web server and serves two specific functions:
- It encrypts data that’s being transmitted
- Authenticates the identity of the website
The purpose of SSL is to guarantee visitors they are on secure and not on a unsecured and harmful sites. In other words, it is an encrypted connection between the web server and the visitors’ web browser. It helps prevent any attack or intrusive companies like ISPs from tampering with the data that is sent between websites and your own browser. Not only is it important to protect from sensitive information, but it also helps protect your site from any malware as well as preventing others from injecting advertisements in your resources.
However, there are several different types of SSL that are based on the number of domain names or subdomains owned such as single, wildcard and multi-domain.
- Single – secures one fully-qualified domain or subdomain name.
- Wildcard – covers one domain name and unlimited number of its subdomains.
- Multi-domain – secures multiple domain names.
Any organization or individual website can use SSL to require, process, receive, collect store or display confidential or their audiences sensitive customer information. For examples ,sites that require use of logins and passwords, client lists, medical records or personal data (e.g. names, social security numbers, birth dates) can all be in need of SSL certificate for encrypted security.
The next time you visit a website, be aware of its SSL Certificates before revealing any personal data information.
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