{"id":2999,"date":"2022-05-31T12:17:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-31T12:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/denverdigital.com\/blog\/?p=2999"},"modified":"2026-04-11T15:11:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T15:11:09","slug":"what-is-an-ssl-certificate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/denverdigital.com\/blog\/2022\/05\/31\/what-is-an-ssl-certificate\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an SSL certificate? | Denver Digital"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n

You may have noticed that certain website URLs begin with HTTPS while others start with HTTP. You may have also noticed a small lock icon at your browser\u2019s top-left corner. So what exactly is an \u201cSSL Certificate\u201d?<\/p>\n\n

SSL certificates, designated by the (s) in https give your website an additional layer of security.<\/h3>\n\n

SS\u2013What? SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. This protocol is used to transmit sensitive information over the Internet. SSL certifies that the website you visit is secure and encrypted. Any data that you input is only shared with that website.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

How does SSL actually protect against information theft?<\/h3>\n\n

Once you begin to understand what SSL is, it will be clear that it\u2019s either asymmetric (or publicly-key) encryption. This means that each party needs to create a public and private pair of keys. As an example, imagine a padlock placed on a gate. Anyone can inspect the lock and try to open it with their keys. It can only be opened with the right key. This example shows that the padlock is a publicly visible key. Private keys are the exact opposite. These private keys allow you to unlock the public key.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

Hackers can easily intercept the information that you submit to a form on a site. This site would be deemed not secure.<\/p>\n\n

You could have provided information that includes your credit card information or a bank transaction. One way a hacker can intercept your information is by placing a small undetected listening program on a website\u2019s server. This program \u201cwakes\u201d when a visitor types their information. This listening program will capture the information and then send it back the hacker.<\/p>\n\n

A website with an SSL certificate<\/a> will allow your browser to establish a connection with it and bind to it. The connection is encrypted so that nobody other than you and the website to which you are submitting your information can view or access it.<\/p>\n\n

This connection occurs instantly. This connection is instantaneous and requires no manual work. It is as easy as visiting a website with SSL certificates and your connection will be automatically secured.<\/p>\n\n

Why is SSL so important?<\/h3>\n\n

You might think, \u201cI\u2019m not accepting sensitive data through my website!\u201d It doesn\u2019t matter if your business accepts sensitive information or not, having an SSL cert is extremely important.<\/p>\n\n

SSL and SEO:<\/h3>\n\n

Google made some adjustments in 2014 to its algorithm for ranking SEO sites. What is the most significant change? Websites using SSL certificates. Google started and continues to flag websites that do not have SSL certificates as unsafe.<\/p>\n\n

SSL certificates give sites an SEO boost.<\/em> These sites will be the default results for searchers. An SSL certificate is essential for your website to be searchable by Google.<\/p>\n\n

Online and SSL payments:<\/h3>\n\n

It is vital that your website has an SSL certificate if you conduct online transactions. You, as an online shop owner, are responsible for ensuring that all information exchanged via your website is secure.<\/p>\n\n

How can you ensure that your customers\u2019 usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, and passwords are not being stolen by malicious hackers? An SSL certificate!<\/p>\n\n

SSL and consumer trust:<\/h3>\n\n

Google Chrome is the most widely used web browser. Google Chrome is used by 44.5% of internet users to search for information on the internet. The Chrome browser can quickly identify sites with SSL certificates. The tiny lock icon appears next to the URL. It will display a locked site if it has an SSL Certificate. If it doesn\u2019t, the lock will open and red text in bold will say \u201cNot Secure\u201d. If a website is marked as \u2018not secured\u2019, customers will feel less comfortable browsing it even though it does not contain any sensitive information. A business that wants its reputation to be trustworthy must have SSL certificates.<\/p>\n\n

It\u2019s hard to deny the trust and confidence that SSL certificates can bring to a website. Securing a website with an SSL certificate shows that you value customer trust. This is vital for financial success, customer conversion, and business growth.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t