Let’s talk SSLs, what they are and why you need them. If you are a Chrome or Firefox user, you have probably been hit with the dreaded ‘site unsecure, proceed with caution page.’ This page appears when a business’ website that you are trying to access does not have an SSL certificate or the SSL certificate is not installed properly. 

So what is an SSL and why is it so dang important? An SSL or Secure Sockets Layer is the added “s” in HTTP and the security lock beside your domain in your browser window. It is an encrypted certificate that acts as an online passport for your website to securely access your customers. 

For example, picture your website going through airport security. The browser acts as the security guard. Once the security guard (browser) accesses and approves your SSL your website has access to all the users on the other side of security. 

So when a person accesses your website and provides confidential information to a web server, the user’s browser acts as a security guard and accesses the SSL, establishing a secure connection. 

Although an SSL is a form of web security, it will not protect against malware. 

Because SSLs are becoming necessary now, most hosting platforms will include them in their plans as a value add-on. Be sure to take this into consideration when you are purchasing your hosting plan. You can also buy an SSL externally from your hosting provider. To do this, you will need to purchase a hosting plan with Cpanel access and a general understanding of how to navigate the Cpanel backend. Although this is a cheaper option. I recommend this unless you have experience in this area. 

And that’s it. That’s the basic knowledge you need to know when starting SSLs.