Ever notice that little green padlock icon when you’re doing your online shopping? That’s telling you that the website you’re visiting is protected by SSL. Every major website that deals in personal information uses SSL – and if you’re running a website, there’s a high chance that you should too.
What is SSL?
SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer and is the most widely used security protocol online. It essentially provides a secure channel between two computers when they need to communicate over the Internet.
No matter what you do on a website, its pages are sending a lot of information from your web browser to the server and vice versa. The majority of this is harmless data required to show the page, but when it comes to private and sensitive information such as credit card details, passwords or your home address, SSL is required to secure your data.
When is SSL needed?
SSL is needed when payment details are being taken from an online shop, but that’s just the most obvious tip of the iceberg. You may not realise it, but SSL is used to protect far more than credit card numbers; it is often used to hide your username and password when logging into a website, plus any other personal information such as addresses, telephone numbers and so on.
If you run an online shop and do not have an SSL Certificate installed, you are putting your customers’ private information at risk – if they even decide to use your business when they see that your site is not secure.
How is SSL implemented?
Adding SSL to a website is quick and easy and just requires an SSL Certificate to be installed to the server and pointed to the correct domain names. Once installed, information on any page using https:// at the beginning of the domain name will automatically be sent as encrypted data across the internet. Information will be secure, your customers will have peace of mind and your website will be viewed as reliable and trustworthy.
BitPix can enable SSL Certificates with the click of a button and suggest best practices for your unique needs. Get in touch for your free quote today!