What is SSL Certificate And How Does It Work?
Last Updated on 2nd August 2021 by Ajmer Singh
What is SSL certificate and how does it work?
Are you wondering what an SSL certificate is and why you need one, well, In this article, you will learn what an SSL certificate is and how it works.
What is an SSL Certificate?
An SSL certificate is a file hosted in the origin of a web server that attaches a cryptographic key to a website/ organization details.
The main purpose of the SSL certificate is to provide a secured connection between a web server and a user’s browser.
what is SSL?
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) also known as TLS (Transfer Layer Security)is a security technology that enables encrypted communication between a browser and a server.
It is used to decrease the risk of losing sensitive information (like username, password, credit/debit card numbers, etc.) from hackers.
How does the SSL certificate work?
What it does typically is that it activates both padlock and HTTPS protocol thereby causing secured connections from a web server to a user’s browser.
Millions of sensitive information are transmitted by internet users on a daily basis ranging from the bank statements to security numbers.
To avoid the interception and manipulation of this data by third parties, the SSL certificate was adopted.
It encrypts the data transmitted by internet users from a web server and decrypts it as soon as it gets to its destination.
They create a secured connection from a web server to a user’s browser.
Is it necessary to buy a Certificate?
Yes, it is, for preventing the loss of sensitive information to hackers, it is important to decrease such risk.
So, it is not that important to buy an SSL certificate but if your website may have some sensitive data such as your credit cards so it is important to purchase.
If you want to increase the traffic on your website so you need to turn the address on your visitor’s browser to green light so that they can easily trust and log into your website and do not think that it is the fake one.
So, it is not necessary to buy the certificate but it may be if your website collects sensitive data like credit cards.
If you want to improve your google ranking buy it because a green bar gives your audience confidence that they are not on a fake site. For more info see my guide Eliminate Your Fears And Doubts About http To https.
Where can you get the Certificate?
You can normally be able to purchase that from your domain registrar or from a website hosting provider.
Recommended website: Cloudways
How much it costs?
To get the SSL certificate you need to purchase it from your domain registrar or you can buy it from the provider who provides website hosting and you have to pay only in the range of 60-80$ in a year.
Or you can get it free with hosting providers like cloudways.
How to install?
Manually – If you want to install the SSL certificate manually, you need to go to the setup or the manage option which is available on the site from where you can purchase the SSL certificate. You need to give them the details they are asking for such as username, email address, mobile number, etc.
By using plugins – If you are using the plugin, then you need to download the plugin which is named Really Simple SSL, and then activate the same and hereby your certificate will get installed automatically and your system will be highly secure to use.
How will you know your SSL Certificate is installed or not?
- Padlock at the left of your URL
- https instead of HTTP
- Green address bar
You can know that if your SSL certificate has been installed, you must check on the padlock on the left side of the URL, and there HTTPS is flashed in place of HTTP and you can see the address bar in your browser is turning to green.
Conclusion
Now, that your website is secured and showing such signs of safety, the visitors seeing your website will be comfortable to use the same without any hesitation and thereby increasing the traffic on your website and you will get the higher rank in the list of most seen website.
So, it is important to purchase the SSL certificate so that you get to enjoy the benefits of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and when the user search for something then the presence of some keywords will make your website on the peak and this is all done when your content is optimized.
After Google has announced that the SSL certificate is mandatory for a website, many developers have switched to the HTTPS connection in place of the HTTP connection.
Share if you like the article and comment when you are going to change your http to https.
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Ajmer Singh is the Founder & Author of Findmytricks. He is a Passionate Blogger, Content writer & WordPress developer. He loves sharing content related to WordPress and Blogging. He enjoys playing games in his free time.
CONTACT: support@findmytricks.com
Life Motto:
1. “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.”
2. “First, learn the rules, then break them”
