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Does My Website Need an SSL Certificate?

By webtrade, Sunday, 31st December 2017 | 0 comments
Filed under: Web Development, General News, Ecommerce.

Does My Website Need an SSL Certificate?

You might have heard the term SSL recently and been wondering what it’s all about and if it’s something you should be worried about. As hackers and phishers devise increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks, smart web security is now more important than ever.

There are numerous measures to take that help ensure your online safety:

  • From installing password managers and anti-virus software.
  • To setting up two-step verifications on all your important personal accounts.
  • Equipping websites with SSL certificates is another critical security measure to consider if you’re the owner or manager of a website.

We recommend to all of our clients that they encrypt their site(s) with an SSL certificate.

Let’s take a moment to walk through what an SSL certificate is and why it is important, plus which kind of certificate is right for your business.


What is SSL and why is it important?

SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer and it is currently the industry standard for encrypting traffic sent between web server and web browser. Its primary use is to stop sensitive information such as customer details i.e. usernames and passwords and credit card information from being read by an unintended third party.

By not having an SSL you may deter potential security conscious customers from using your website. SSL certificates are strongly recommended for all sites, regardless of whether they process transactions or require login credentials. In some cases, websites without this industry level standard of security could even be penalised by search engines.

As of January 2017, Google Chrome browser marks any pages that request personal information without being properly encrypted and secured with HTTPS as “Not Secure.”
 

Which type of SSL certificate is right for my business?

There are three different types of SSL certificate Organisation Validated (OV SSL), Extended Validation (EV SSL) and Domain Validated (DV SSL) to consider when taking steps to secure your website.

Organisation Validated (OV SSL)

Similar to the Domain Validated but this requires some company information to be submitted, this information is displayed in the certificate if the user wishes to confirm it; however, it just displays the green padlock in the browser like the Domain Validated one. It’s a bit more expensive and takes longer since the information needs to be submitted to the Certificate Authority (CA) for vetting.

Extended Validation (EV SSL)

Extended Validation certificates are the newest and provide the greatest level of authentication, it ensures the overall legitimacy of your business through an extensive vetting process, unlike the previous two, this one displays the company name in the address bar next to the padlock and requires a large amount of verification, for this reason it takes the longest and costs much more than the other two.

Domain Validated (DV SSL) 

This is a simple certificate that just validates a domain, it ensures that the information is encrypted but since it does not have the company information, it doesn’t identify who is on the other end. It is quick and cheap to obtain since it doesn’t require any additional information, it is the most common type of certificate we set up.


Ready to strengthen your site security?

Consider what you really need for your website when buying, the Extended Validation SSL looks very professional, but is not really necessary for small businesses.

The bottom line is that if you don’t already have an SSL certificate for your website, now is the time to get one. Contact us today to Request an SSL certificate today.

 

At Webtrade we excel at helping business owners with their website and the maintenance of their website, If you have any questions about how our websites are designed and how they can benefit you and your company and how Webtrade can make your website be the online tool you need it to be, please contact us, call us on 01 2990655 for a quote or email us at sales@webtrade.ie

 

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