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Is This Something New?

Technology is constantly moving at a rapid rate and, as a result of this, lots of things end up being redundant pretty quickly. Just look at how many storage space laptops used to have 15 years back (around the time we first had one in our home) compared to now. As well as hardware, the same is true of vertical technology too. For example, look at how different Twitter is now to the 2010 version. The rich media all almost every post is a world away from the version where you could only link to images.

The internet came about around 30 years ago and, as you can imagine, a lot of things have changed in that time. In terms of how people use it (info vs retail), who uses it (computer science graduates vs literally everyone) and where it’s used (in special facilities vs on the move, anywhere). That being the case, we need ways to ensure that our data is secure and the sites that we are using are who they say they are.

SSL certificates are simple solution to solve many issues for web users, especially when it comes to their online security.

What is an SSL Certificate?

On face value, an SSL certificate is something that allows you to use an https:// address rather than http:// in your url. What that means is that it is used to encrypt browser data before it is sent and received. Without one, there’s a risk that sites may transmit malware that can steal cookies, passwords, login information, bank account information, and much more, without the end user ever realising the connection was not secured.

While SSL certificates have been around for some time, it’s only recently that there has been a significant shift in the quantity of sites using them. In 2017, Google Chrome (one of the most popular internet browsers) decided that it would clearly display the phrase ‘Not secure’ on the browser bar of any site still using ‘http’. This was a wake-up call that effectively forced many websites to secure SSL certificates for their sites

I used to work at the Debenhams head office within the digital marketing department. Towards the end of my tenure there, one of the biggest projects was the move from http to https. While this is a fairly simple thing to do on a small scale project – perhaps on a WordPress blog, it’s a different story for a well-established site that encourages users to input financial data onto it.

While I wouldn’t say that it’s absolutely essential for you to understand the technical mechanics behind SSL certificates, having https display with ‘secure’ on Chrome is essential when it comes to building trust with site users, or even getting them to see the site in the first place.

How Do You Get an SSL Certificate?

No matter what project you’re planning to launch online, always ensure you launch with a hosting plan that includes an SSL certificate as standard. For example, domains hosted with IONOS come with a wildcard SSL, which means that it covers your main domain as well as any subdomains you choose to use.

Bear in mind that. Generally all certificates expire at some point. It is good practice to renew your certificate periodically to help prevent your data from being compromised by others. Good hosts will either notify you or replace your certificate at the point of expiry so there’s no disruption in service for you or your website users.

Chiino
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