The world is becoming more interconnected through rapid digitalization, and cybercrimes are rising exponentially too. The year 2023 saw a notable increase in cyberattacks, resulting in more than 343 million victims. Between 2021 and 2023, data breaches rose by 72%, surpassing the previous record.
Security has been a major concern for ages. Kings had to protect their land from enemies, and today we have to defend our digital territory from cyber crimes. Periods changed, people changed, but the problem remains the same. The issue of protecting territory!
SSL certificate comes as a defense mechanism for your website. It helps give your website a uniqueness that marks it as originally yours. The first step towards safeguarding your territory is to mark your territory. SSL certificate does that exactly.
If you are active on social media, you must be aware of a blue tick on X and Instagram. It is issued by social media platforms to authenticate to an account. This is done to show that the account belongs to the same person and is not fake. An SSL certificate is like that blue tick.
While browsing some websites, you might have seen an icon of a green lock or the word secure along with HTTPS written before the domain name. This indicates that the website is secured and has obtained an SSL certificate.
Now let us discuss, what an SSL certificate is, from a technical point of view.
SSL (Secure Socket Layers) is a security protocol in which the internet traffic is encrypted and the server identity is verified.
It is an authenticating mechanism that helps service providers ensure the safety and security of their users’ data. It is a data file hosted on the website server to verify the correct server identity. It helps establish a secure connection between the web browser and the website server.
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 each level, and based upon that, there are mainly 3 types of SSL certificates.
It is issued for only one particular domain and cannot be used for any sub-domain. However, all the pages associated with that domain are secured under the SDC.;
Wildcard SSL can be useful if you have a base domain and other sub-domains. You have to take one certificate for all sub-domains, which makes it a cheaper option.
This is quite similar to Wildcard SSL, but the point of difference is that you can get a single certificate for multiple domains and sub-domains too.
These SSLs are issued to a website after the organization is verified. This verification has different levels and is done by the certification authority. Based on different validation levels, SSLs are further categorized into 3 categories:
This is the least level of validation. It does not require any severe investigation of the business. All you need to do is provide the DNS record to the certification authority, and you are good to go. It is done to prove you are in control of that domain.
This is a manual validation process. The certification authority contacts the organization and asks for its details. This process makes OV SSL more trustworthy as compared to DV SSL.
These are the most expensive certificates and are suitable for websites, that deal with online financial transactions. E-commerce websites, banking websites, and service websites are the ones that mostly engage in transactional activities. Thus, such organizations or businesses undergo stringent investigation.
A website needs an SSL certificate for several reasons. A few of them are listed below:
To keep user data secure, it is essential to have an SSL certificate for your website. It secures the connection between a web browser and the website’s server, preventing the users’ and the website’s data from theft.
The SSL certificate provides an authentication mechanism to verify the ownership of the website. Like the blue tick that authenticates the original account, an SSL certificate helps keep your website unique and distinguished.
Search engines prefer ranking websites that are safe and secure for the users. Therefore, it is important to get an SSL certificate to rank higher in the search engine.
Cyber threats are on the rise, and creating duplicate websites is one of the most common threats that organizations are facing today. An SSL certificate helps prevent attackers from creating a fake version of your website, making you more reliable for your users.
Because your website gets valid authentication, it builds customers’ trust in your business.
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 the following steps:
To summarize the working of SSL, 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 data theft and other cyber threats.
There are two viewpoints. Let us discuss both to understand whether an SSL certificate can be used on multiple servers.
Zebyte provides all the SSL certificate services that your website needs.
Here are some key features of our SSL certificate services:
We protect your users’ sensitive data with robust encryption protocols, ensuring secure online transactions and communications.
Easy installation of your SSL certificate so that you can give secure services to your users and guarantee integrity, authentication, and customer trust, protecting your website against cyber threats of all nature.
We give you flexible payment options at reasonable rates.
Get the best from Zebyte’s domain expertise in SSL technology to keep all transactions safe online.
You work on growing your business, while we lend our technical expertise to you.
According to the latest report by SSL Pulse, 35.9% of the 134,595 surveyed sites—totaling 48,330—failed to follow best practices for SSL implementation. (Source). On the other hand, a data breach costs $4.45 million on average. (Source)
These statistics are alarming enough to make you understand the importance of an SSL certificate.
When are you going to get an SSL certificate for your website? Try the SSL Certificate service from Zebyte today and secure your business from all cyber threats!
If you want to learn more about SSL certificates, read our other blog here.
https://www.zebytecloud.com/protect-your-website-with-ssl-certificates/
Click on the link below to learn more about our SSL Certificate services.
https://www.zebytecloud.com/ssl-certificates/
Feel free to talk to our team of experts. Connect with us by email and get solutions tailored to your specific needs.
Question: What happens when an SSL certificate expires?
When SSL certificates expire, the risks are significant. Outages become more likely, leading to potential profit loss and long-term reputational damage.
Expired certificates also increase the risk of cyberattacks, as data is no longer protected by encryption, making it vulnerable. This cybersecurity lapse can erode customer trust, as indicated by the warning message “Your connection is not private,” potentially driving customers away.
Consequently, retention rates can plummet, as 81% of consumers might disengage with brands after a breach.