What is an SSL?
That extra ‘s’ you notice in HTTPS, quite simply means that your connection to that website is secure and encrypted. The technology that powers this connection is called SSL , which stands for “Secure Sockets Layer.” An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates a website’s identity and enables an encrypted connection.
SSL keeps internet connections secure and prevents criminals from reading or modifying any information that is transferred between two systems. Companies and organizations need SSL certificates to ensure their customers’ information is kept private and secure.
How Do SSL Certificates Work?
To ensure that any data between users and websites, or between two systems, remains secure and impossible to read, SSL uses encryption algorithms that scramble data in transit, which in return keeps hackers from getting information. SSL protects data such as names, addresses, credit card numbers or anything else that is personal or sensitive information.
When a company has an SSL certificate, the acronym HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure) appears in the URL, along with the secure padlock icon.
Why Do You Need An SSL Certificate?
As of October 2017, all sites must use SSL Certificates to validate their authenticity and validity – failure to use SSL encryption can result in temporary or permanent bans from Google altogether. Along with Google, other browsers will also tag unsecure sites, those without an SSL certificate, as “not secure” and let your users know that your site may not be trustworthy.
If you want to keep user data secure, prevent attackers from creating a fake version of your site, and convey trust to your customers, you need an SSL certificate.
What happens when an SSL certificate expires?
SSL certificates don’t last forever; they do expire and will require you to make another payment on them. SSL certificates usually renew yearly. However, this number may decreases to a shorter amount in the near future.
When an SSL certificate expires, it will alert the user when they arrive at your site, and will give them a message of “This site is not secure. Potential risk ahead”.
Allowing a certificate to expire, means you will no longer be able to run secure transactions on your website, and the Certification Authority (CA) will prompt you to renew your SSL certificate.
How do I keep track of my renewal?
We have documented authorization to update SSL certificates on other businesses’ behalf. Of course, we always remind our clients when the renewal is approaching to ensure no one is caught off guard with an unexpected payment. We offer services to keep track, manage, and renew your SSL certificate when the time comes.
Contact us today to get started with your website and SSL certificate!
contact@lightalive.marketing
580-699-2729