Do you need an SSL Certificate?

By Michael Baxter on 2 October 2017 with tags Tech, Upgrade

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Have you received an email from Google recommending your website has an SSL Certificate? If so, what are they and do you need one?

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates, sometimes called digital certificates, are used to establish an encrypted connection between a browser or user's computer and a website. The SSL connection protects sensitive data, such as credit card information, exchanged during each visit, from being intercepted from non-authorised parties.

When someone visits your website and the web address starts with “http://” all the information they send and receive from it can be read by anyone with the right hacking tools. If you have set up an SSL Certificate the URL becomes “https://” (the “s” for secure), and all data transmitted back and forth is encrypted. This is especially important if you are collecting any private data about a person.

A SSL Certificate is good for security and also for search engine rankings. Google tells us that setting up a SSL Certificate on your website is important, and it’s actually a ranking factor. Your website ranking now rides on how quick, mobile-responsive, and secure it is.

Getting a SSL Certificate is as easy as contacting your web hosting provider and asking them to get one for you.

If you have a website that is using out-of-date technology or needs a review of its security contact us today so we can get it upgraded and made more secure for you.