Website Security

What is an SSL Certificate?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a security protocol that establishes encrypted communication between a sender (browser) and a receiver (web server).  An SSL certificate, purchased from your web hosting company and installed on your website’s server, enables both the sender and the receiver to privately and securely exchange secret “keys” known only to them. This digital certificate is issued by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA) which is necessary to certify ownership of a public key, thereby ensuring the authenticity of both the SSL certificate and the website.

When a website visitor transmits sensitive information (i.e. credit card information, health information, login credentials, personal identifying information, etc.) without an SSL certificate, the connection could be exposed to eavesdropping, phishing, keyloggers or other nefarious hackers. Click here for the top 10 hacking techniques.