SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer.
It is a special communication protocol that protects the information being transmitted across the web. It creates a secure connection between a person’s web browser and the server of the company they are interacting with, so all communication between the two is kept private and secure, safe from eavesdropping, and cannot be stolen or changed in transit.
All the information that is passed through this secure connection is encrypted before being sent, and decrypted only when received on the other end.
If someone manages to access the information en route, it is useless to them because they cannot read what it says.
To enable SSL, a website needs to get an SSL Certificate. When your website has an SSL Certificate, your visitors will see a small padlock in front of your URL. Your URL will also start with HTTPS instead of HTTP. The S on the end stands for Secure. Depending on the internet browser they are using, there may also be a green bar and the word Secure in front of your domain name.
Protects sensitive information, helps prevent identity theft, fraud, data tampering and phishing. Minimizes risk to you and to your visitors and customers.
Because your SSL Certificate is specific to your domain and contains information associated directly with your domain, your visitors can be confident that you are who you say you are, and not an impostor pretending to be you in order to steal their confidential information.
SSL allows you to take payments and accept credit card information. Since SSL is mandated by the payment card industry, this gives you a big advantage over your competitors who do not have SSL.
Your visitors can be confident that any information or data that they send or receive is exactly what was sent. They can rest assured that no one is able to hijack the information en route and modify it before it arrives.
Your mobile pages will load almost instantly via AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) technology. AMP technology is dependent on having an SSL Certificate. Since load time is an important ranking factor for Google, blazing fast load times will give your mobile site a big boost in ranking.
Most professional websites have already implemented SSL on their website. Adding an SSL Certificate to your website automatically associates you with business professionals and gives you much more credibilty as a business.
If you have a WordPress website, you may be especially vulnerable to attacks by hackers.
Out of several million websites hacked in one year, almost 75% of those sites were based on WordPress. This is not surprising because of the massive number of WordPress-based websites that exist, and because every plugin that is installed is a potential access point for hackers to gain entrance.
So if you have a WordPress website, it is vital that you get SSL installed as quickly as possible. You want to protect yourself, your website and your customers from the devastation which can be caused by a hacker who decides to target your site.
