SSL Certificate stands of Secure sockets layers, it is a security feature which helps to authenticate a website’s identity and enable a encrypted and secure connection. SSL certificates are very important in securing websites from any kind of insecure web connections. In this article we have tried to cover all the important aspects of SSL Certificates like benefits, importance, how to install SSL certificates in your website etc, so read this article for detailed information on Secure sockets layers certificates.
What is SSL Certificate?
Secure Socket Layer certificate popularly known as SSL Certificates. An SSL certificate ensures safe and secure transferring of data and information between the user’s browser and the server of website. Secure Socket Layer certificate helps to encrypts data transmitted over the internet and protect it from interception and tampering by malicious factors. SSL keeps internet connections and web surfing secure by safeguarding it from reading or modifying information by any illegal person or spam ware attack. These certificates are issued by certificate Authorities (CAs). These certificates authorities issues SSL certificates after verifying the authenticity of websites
Importance and Benefits of SSL Certificates
SSL certificates encrypt sensitive user information like login credentials, credit card details, and personal data. This safe and secure encryption of user information by these certificates to prevents hackers from intercepting and reading the transmitted data over the internet. Benefits and importance of secure socket layer certificates are as follows
- Trust and Credibility– Websites with secure socket layer certificates display a padlock symbol and “https://” in the address bar. This give surety to users that their web connection is secure. This surety helps to enhances trust and credibility, which is very important for online businesses.
- Search Engine Rankings- SSL is one of the important factors for SEO and search engines like Google give result page ranking to websites which are having these certificates. Websites with SSL certificates rank higher in SERPs, this ranking factor encourages website owners to adopt SSL for better web visibility of their website.
- Data Integrity- Secure Socket Layer certificates ensures that your data remains unchanged during data transit, this provides data integrity and security.
- Authentication- These certificates verify the authenticity of websites. This verification helps to prevents phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks.
- PCI Compliance- SSL certificates are very important for websites who are handling online transactions and payments because they comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) requirements.
- Mobile Compatibility- SSL certificates are compatible with mobile phones and tabs, thus providing support secure connections across various mobile devices.
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How SSL Certificate Works?
Secure socket layer certificates authenticates a website’s identity, and encrypts data exchange between browser and website’s server to create a secure connection. When a user accesses an SSL enabled website, the following process takes place
- The user’s browser requests the website’s SSL certificate.
- The website’s server sends a copy of its SSL certificate, including the public key.
- Then the browser checks the certificate’s validity and verifies it with the issuing CA.
- If the certificate is valid, the browser and server establish an encrypted connection by using the website’s public key.
- Encrypted data transmission occurs between the user’s browser and the server
Types of SSL Certificates
Here we are sharing details of different types of SSL available.
- Domain Validated (DV) SSL Certificate– Domain validated certificates are the most basic type of SSL certificate. They only verify domain ownership and are typically issued quickly. DV certificates are suitable for small websites, personal blogs, or non-commercial projects where encryption is the primary concern.
- Organization Validated (OV) Certificate– Organization Validated certificates provides a higher level of assurance and apart from verifying domain ownership, certificate authorities also conduct a basic vetting process to confirm the authority of the organization requesting the certificate. Organization Validated certificates are ideal for business and organization who wants to display their identity in the certificate details.
- Extended Validation (EV) Certificate– Extended Validation certificates provides the highest and advanced level of assurance among all SSL certificates. The certificate issuing authorities performs a authenticiation process to verify the legal existence and identity of the requesting organization. Websites with EV SSL certificates display the name of organization in the address bar, along with a green padlock, which marks as the highest level of trust to visitors. EV certificates are commonly used by e-commerce sites, financial institutions, and other high-security websites.
- Wildcard SSL Certificate– Wildcard SSL certificates secure a domain and its unlimited number of subdomains under the same certificate. For example, a wildcard certificate for “*.example.com” will secure “www.example.com,” “mail.example.com,” and any other subdomain under “example.com.” This is a cost-effective solution for websites with multiple subdomains.
- Multi-Domain (SAN) SSL Certificate– Multi-Domain SSL certificates is also known as Subject Alternative Name (SAN) certificates. It helps in securing multiple domains and sub domains within a single certificate. Website owners can include different domain names in the certificate, which makes it versatile and suitable for complex website setups or multiple websites hosted on the same server.
- Unified Communications Certificate (UCC)- UCC certificates are a type of multi-domain certificate specifically designed for Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Office Communications servers. They secure different domain names, server names, and IP addresses used for various services within these platforms.
- Code Signing Certificate– Code Signing certificates are used by software developers to digitally sign their code, ensuring its authenticity and integrity. This type of certificate is essential for distributing software and updates securely.
- S/MIME Certificate– Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) certificates are used for email encryption and digital signing. They provide a way to secure email communication and authenticate the sender.
How to Get SSL Certificate for WordPress Website
- Choose the Right SSL Certificate– Select the types of SSL certificate as per your requirement.
- Choose a Certificate Authority (CA)- Research for reputable certificate authority (CAs) and choose one that fulfil your requirements and budget.
- Generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR)- Now create a certificate signing request on your web server and submit it to the chosen certificate authority.
- Domain Validation– The certificate authority will validate your domain ownership before issuing the SSL certificate. This can be done via email, DNS record, or file upload.
- Receive and Install the SSL Certificate– The certificate authority will send you the SSL certificate after validation. Now install it on your web server by following the CA’s instructions.
How to Install SSL in WordPress
Firstly Prepare Your Server for SSL installation, ensure that your web server is ready to install the SSL certificate.
- Now back up your existing configurations and files.
- Now Navigate through the WordPress Sites & in the site name, domain tab will appear
- In the domain tab, click on three dotted kebab menu.
- Now add the custom SSL certificate on your domain from the dropdown menu.
- A confirmation tab will appear after adding SSL certificate.
- Click on next button for proceeding next step.
- Now two box will appear, add add your private key (.key) and certificate (.cert, .cer., or .crt file) in the given box.
- After adding private key and certificate, click on Add certificate to final the SSL installation process.
- Now configure your web server settings to enable SSL and force HTTPS connections.
- Finally test the SSL Installation for any possible error.
Conclusion
SSL certificate is important part of providing security and trustworthiness to any website. SSL certificates secure user information from any cyber threats by encrypting data and establishing secure connections. After understanding the importance, benefits, and installation process of SSL we learned that SSL Certificates plays a crucial role in web connection safety and they helps to create a safer online environment.