SSL Certificates- SSL certificates are one of the most important items you need for an eCommerce website. Web Hosting Ranking is going to discuss SSL certificates, why you need SSL certificates, and how to find the best SSL certificates in this article.
If you aren’t running an eCommerce website or an online store then you don’t need an SSL certificate. If you are, then continue to read this SSL certificates review. You are going to read several times in this SSL certificates review how important SSL certificates are. Web Host Ranking isn’t saying this just to get you to read this article. We really mean it and we think you will understand how important SSL certificates are once you finish reading this article. In fact, we bet you already know about SSL certificates you just might now that they are called SSL certificates.
So just what are SSL certificates? To start with you should know what SSL stands for. SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. In this Web Host Ranking article we are going to call it SSL because it is easier to read and write! SSL is a computer protocol that allows your computer to securely transport sensitive information over the internet without it landing in the wrong person’s hands. This secure process is done automatically by the SSL certificates. The way SSL certificates work is the moment a person provides sensitive information into a website, the SSL certificate takes that information and encrypts the data. It is the encrypted data that is then sent over the internet to its destination. Once at the destination the receiving website must have a proper code and authorization to decrypt that information and process the sensitive data. Once that data has been processed, the receiving site then sends back new encrypted data to the original website which is able to view and process that information.
A great way to think of SSL certificates is by comparing them to windows. Anybody can see through a clear, normal window. But when you apply dark tint to the window it is hard to see through it. The SSL certificate takes the personal information and puts the “tint” on it to block the views of people. When you purchase an SSL certificate there are different levels of protection. The most common versions are 40 bit encryption, 128 bit encryption, and 256 bit encryption. The difference between these types of SSL certificates is how many bits or numbers are used to encrypt the information. While 40 bit sounds like a lot, nowadays it is pretty easy to decrypt those so Web Host Ranking recommends that you at least get a 128 bit SSL certificate.
By now you can see how important SSL certificates are. It should also be pretty clear on who needs them. If you still need Web Host Ranking to say it, we will…anybody that sells products or sends sensitive information over the internet needs to be using SSL certificates. This can range from online stores to financial institutions to work webmail.
Finding SSL certificates is pretty easy. In fact several of the best web hosting companies offer shared SSL certificates as part of their web hosting package. Shared SSL certificates are just that, they are shared amongst several websites. If you need a dedicated SSL certificate, one that is assigned strictly to you, then you will need to upgrade your SSL certificate. Most of the web hosting companies offer dedicated SSL certificates or you can purchase one from GoDaddy. GoDaddy offers several of the best SSL certificates at low prices. This is a great option if you already have web hosting and just need to add an SSL certificate to your site.