SSL
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Created: Saturday, 13 June 2015 08:21
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a protocol to ensure secure transactions between web servers and browsers. This is important because the information you send on the Internet is passed across several computers until it reaches the destination server. Any computer between you and the server has the ability to see all traffic being sent. SSL protects your sensitive information by encrypting data so that only the intended recipient can understand it.
Does my website need an SSL certificate?
Any site that handles:
- sensitive data
- credit card numbers
- personal identifiable information (PII)
will need an SSL certificate.
How do I know if a site is using SSL? When you navigate to a website, and "https:" appears instead of "http:", this is an indication that the site is secure. Once you notice the "https:", you will also notice a lock icon. The location of the lock icon depends on your web browser. Some browsers will place it at the top near the address bar, while others will place it at the bottom of the screen. Clicking on the icon allows you to view more information regarding the security of the site, such as the name of the company on the SSL certificate. This helps verify that you're actually at the right website and not a spoof site.
