Protect Your Website with SSL Certificates

ssl certificate | 02nd Aug 2024

DATA SECURITY CONCERNS

“We’re all going to have to change how we think about data protection” is a thought-provoking quote by former Information & Privacy Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham. The data revolution that has taken place in the past decade has reached new heights today. With every single individual creating their digital footprints, the data collected has a lot of potential to grow businesses. However, as Elizabeth says, we have to change the ways of data protection. With the emerging technology in the information domain, there are also appearing challenges. Users, clients & service providers are all sensitive to these digital threats.

Having talked of the importance of data security, let’s bring up a data security tool SSL certificate and explore its features and significance.

WHAT IS SSL CERTIFICATE?

You might have seen while browsing some websites that there is an icon of a green lock or the word secure along with HTTPS written before the domain name. This is an indication that the website is secured and has obtained an SSL certificate.

SSL(Secure Socket Layers) is an authenticating mechanism that helps service providers ensure the safety and security of their user’s data. It is a data file hosted in the origin server of the website to verify the correct server identity. It establishes a secure connection between the web browser and the website server.

HOW DOES SSL CERTIFICATE WORKS?

There are several steps in working on an SSL certificate but the whole process takes a few milliseconds to complete.

Here is the entire process explained in following steps-

The user provides input data into the website via the web browser.
The browser connects to the web server and requests it to identify itself.
Web server sends a copy of the SSL certificate hosted in the website’s origin server to the web browser.
The browser, after receiving the certificate, authenticates it and verifies the credentials.
If the verification comes out to be successful, the web server provides a digitally signed acknowledgment to start an SSL encrypted session.
Finally, the data given by the user is encrypted and shared between the browser and web server.

If we explain it in layman’s language, an SSL certificate encrypts the user data, sends it to the website’s origin server and verifies if the web browser is connecting with the correct server or not, to ensure that the user remains shielded from the data theft and other cyber threats.

WHAT INFORMATION IS IN SSL CERTIFICATE?

The SSL certificate has numerous details that can be viewed by clicking on the padlock symbol on the browser. It has the following details available-

The domain name it is issued for
The person or organization it is issued to
The issuing authority’s name and digital signature
The certificate’s issue and expiry dates
The public key (the private key is not revealed)

WHAT DATA DOES SSL SECURE?

So far we have read a lot about SSL certificates and their process. We understand that it helps to secure the data of the users using a website. Thus, its evident that if any business wants to grow and build trust with its users, it can be achieved by ensuring the user that their data is in safe hands. Hence, it becomes not just crucial from the security point of view but even from the business growth perspective. Now we will learn about exactly what information of the user should be secured and why a business may require an SSL certificate!

Such information is quite sensitive and requires immense trust of the users. A person would want to use a website with an HTTPS connection over a website that would show “not secure” before the domain name.

TYPES OF SSL CERTIFICATES

The basic work of the SSL certificate is to provide security for the user’s data and prevent data theft. There are different security functions of an SSL Certificate at different levels and based upon that, there are mainly 5 types of SSL certificates.

Extended Validation Certificates (EV SSL): These are the most expensive certificates and are suitable for websites, that deal with online financial transactions.

Organizational Validation Certificates (OV SSL): They are similar to EV SSL and are used to encrypt confidential data of the user during online payment.

Domain Validation Certificates (DV SSL): As the name suggests, under this certification, only the domain of the website is validated. It is cheap & can be obtained easily.

Wildcard SSL: If you have a base domain and other sub-domains, Wildcard SSL can be useful as you have to take only one certificate that covers all the sub-domains as well along with one domain which makes it a cheaper option.

Multi Domain Certificates (MDC): This is similar to Wildcard SSL but the point of difference is that you can get a single certificate for multiple multiple domains and sub-domains as well.

HOW TO OBTAIN AN SSL CERTIFICATE?

As it is a certification, therefore, it is issued by a certification authority. It is a trusted third party that deals with SSL certification. The fee required to get an SSL certificate depends on the level of security the website needs. The price range can vary from free to hundreds of dollars.

To obtain an SSL certificate, you need to follow these steps-

Prepare your server setup and make sure you are submitting the correct name and address of your company to the Certification Authority.

Now you have to generate the Certificate Signing Request.

Submit your CSR to validate your company details by the Certificate Authority.

Finally, install the certificate on your website. cPanel is the best way to do this task.

ZEBYTE SSL CERTIFICATE SERVICE

Zebyte provides you with all the SSL certificate services that your website needs for your business to grow.

Here are some striking features of our SSL certificate services-

Enhanced Security- We protect your users’ sensitive data with encryption protocols.

Reliable Data Protection- Easy installation of your SSL certificate so that you can give secure services to your users.

Cost Effective- We give you flexible payment options so that you can enjoy the services at reasonable rates.

Trust of Zebyte- You work on growing your business and we shall take care of all your technical requirements.

FINAL THOUGHTS

“60% of data breaches are caused by a failure to patch. If you correct that, you’ve eliminated 60% of breaches” said by, Ricardo Lafosse, chief information security officer for Kraft Heinz.

This quote is emphasizes the importance of an SSL certificate for your data security.

So what are you waiting for? Get the SSL Certificate service from Zebyte today to build trust with your users!