Almost everyone today has a cell phone or a laptop and uses the Internet with great regularity. We also like to do this in complete security. Before you want to fully secure your website, it is very important to read up on how to achieve this. It is common for many Internet users to be confused about the term SSL. SSL is certainly an effective method of securing your website, but it doesn’t stop there. Research well in advance about all the terms and steps involved in securing your website and, in addition to the SSL, don’t forget the important function of Security headers.
What does SSL stand for?
SSL is the abbreviation for Secure Sockets Layer. The SSL provides a secure Internet connection that protects data, think personal information or credit card information. You can think of it as a private tunnel from your browser to the server receiving the information. The information is encrypted to ensure that others cannot read or modify it while it is being transmitted.
What is an SSL certificate?
An SSL certificate is a small data file that cryptographically establishes an encrypted connection between the Web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data exchanged between the Web server and the browser remains private. It works like a certificate for a website. Visitors can see right away that your website is safe to visit. You can request this SSL certificate from your hosting provider.
The different types of SSL certificates
Extended Validation (EV) Certificate
The EV Certificates are the most expensive SSL you can get, but they are very valuable in showing the legitimacy of your domain from the address bar.
In fact, the website owner has to go through an identity check to get this certificate.
An EV certificate proves that you are authorized to own the domain and this assures visitors that you are legally collecting the data needed to perform certain actions, such as entering credit card numbers.
Organization Validated (OV) Certificate
This certificate confirms that your organization and domain validation are genuine.
The OV certificate offers a medium level of encryption and is obtained in two steps.
In the browser, users will see a small green padlock showing the name of the company.
This type of certificate is suitable if you do not have the financial resources for an EV certificate, but want to offer a moderate level of encryption.
Domain Validation (DV) Certificate
A DV certificate offers a low level of verification that is displayed as a green padlock next to the URL in the address bar.
This is the fastest validation you can receive for your website and you only need a few business documents to submit the request.
Unlike OV, and EV certificates, these do not verify identity information.
Wildcard SSL Certificate
Wildcard SSL certificates are in the category of domain and subdomain numbers.
Wildcard SSLs ensure that if you buy a certificate for one domain, you can use that same certificate for all other subdomains.
However, this is only applicable with an OV certificate and a DV certificate.
The benefits of an SSL certificate
The obvious benefit of SSL certificates is that your website data is protected from interception by third parties. The connections from the web browser to the server remain encrypted. In addition, it also improves trust for your visitors. When actions such as payments are made through your websites, customers feel a lot of distrust if this website does not have an SSL certificate. This is also true when entering personal information. So having an SSL certificate can ultimately encourage transactions on your website. It also ensures data integrity. Many Web sites, such as Ebay, have fallen victim to hacking in the past. With an SSL certificate, the chances of this will be reduced and also it will ensure that data on the online server will always be intact and protected from external threats. Lastly, you will also increase your website’s SEO ranking on Google if your website has an SSL certificate.
The disadvantages of an SSL certificate
Every SSL certificate costs money. To fully protect your Web site, you will have to be willing to pay. However, since the benefits are quite great, the cost should not be a cause for concern. Although SSL configuration is fairly simple for an expert, it can sometimes be complex for someone else. In such a case, the process of configuring the SSL certificate can be quite complicated and mistakes can easily put visitors off. In addition, mobile configuration is not easy. Because SSL certificates were initially developed for website security, mobile devices were not directly considered. As a result, quite a few complications still occur in the mobile version. So in most cases, it is highly recommended to have a techie do the configuration.
What is an HTTP Security header
Every time a browser requests a page from the Web server, a server provides the browser with the content along with some other useful information. These are called headers. Many SSL-related vulnerabilities can be fixed with a special type of header called security headers. Indeed, these can tell browsers how to handle content on a Web page, such as “load this site only over HTTPS.
Why SSL is not enough and you need an HTTP Security header for optimal security
Most website owners think that once they have an SSL certificate on the website, the site will operate in the most secure manner without any worries. Unfortunately, in reality, this is not completely the case. These days, the Internet is full of hackers trying to ruin websites. If you want to take full advantage of SSL, you must include an HTTP Security header. This way, all images, scripts, style files and other things are loaded through a secure connection and this will not give hackers, for example, a chance to invade your website. Like an SSL, installing it manually is quite difficult. Especially since you want to avoid certificate errors. It is best to hire a techie for both the SSL certificate and the Security header if you are not an expert in this field yourself. So don’t think twice about it. The SSL encryption with Security header is definitely a must for your website. Especially if the site works as an e Commerce store where financial transactions are performed daily.
