What is an SSL certificate and what are the benefits of having an SSL certificate?

As malicious attacks become more widespread 、 Radical and advanced , Security has become more important than ever . Although there are hundreds of ways to improve the security of your website , But everyone should do a simple thing to get off to a good start —— get SSL certificate . that What is? SSL certificate , How it works , What are the benefits of certification ？

What is? SSL certificate ？

SSL Short for secure socket layer , actually , It is a kind of authentication that provides a secure connection through the Internet —— It is most common between users' browsers and the websites they are visiting . By encrypting the connection ,SSL It can prevent data interception during transmission , To protect data and add more benefits .

SSL What's the use of certificates ？

As you better understand SSL How it works , You will learn how much your website can benefit from certification . For beginners ,SSL The certificate can be used as a visual confirmation user. Your website is a secure and reliable environment . If you ask your users to enter personal information and payment details , This is especially important .

Again , Make sure you have SSL Certificates help build trust with users , They will immediately assume that your website is legitimate and trustworthy . in fact , exceed 75% Our website now uses SSL and HTTPS As their first line of defense .

SSL And TLS What's the difference? ？

The Internet is a world full of jargon , Internet security is no exception . We've already introduced it SSL What is it? , So let's get to the point TLS What is it and the difference between them .

TLS Represents transport layer security , Is an encryption in Web A protocol for transferring data between a server and a user , It's like SSL equally . On the face of it , There is not much difference between them . They all do the same thing , but TLS yes SSL Upgraded version 、 A more secure version , Only when you get into the real technical details of how they work , You will find the difference . Due to the security advantages , Many providers like us now use TLS encryption , But call them SSL Certificates are still the industry standard .

How do I know if I am using SSL？

Website instructions SSL The certificate exists in a way that Web Browsers are different .

GoogleChrome Medium SSL certificate

If you are in GoogleChrome Visit the website in , It works SSL The main indicators of the certificate are URL At the beginning of “https://”, Not just “http://”.

In the case of visual indicators , You usually go to the website URL I saw a padlock icon in the previous address bar ：

 

however , Google is indeed 2021 Annual announcement ,ChromeM93 Will include an experiment , Replace the lock icon in the address bar with a more neutral “ The drop-down ” Style arrow , To improve access to other security information .

 

Microsoft Edge Medium SSL certificate

stay Microsoft Edge When visiting your site in , It seems to be with us Chrome Are very similar to those used in （M93 Previous experiments ）. If the connection is secure （ That is, it has effective SSL certificate ）, You will be at URL See a lock icon in the column .

If the site doesn't have SSL certificate , The address bar will show unsafe connections with a triangle warning icon ：

 

SSL Benefits of certificates

1、 Protection data

We have already mentioned , but SSL The main benefit of is to protect data . By encrypting incoming and outgoing site data , It can protect it from any malicious person who tries to access it . Even if a data leak occurs and some data is intercepted , Because of the encryption level involved , It is also almost impossible to crack .

2、 Reduce the risk of phishing

The visual indicators mentioned above are also the key to prevent phishing . If you are not familiar with it , Phishing websites are fraudulent websites created by people who aim to steal user data . They are usually very convincing copies of legitimate websites , And try to trick visitors into entering their personal information . Valid on your site SSL Certificates are an obvious way to show that you are a true trader , It can help your visitors avoid phishing attacks .

3、 Improve your search engine rankings

How high a website ranks in search engine results is the key to its success .2014 year , Google announced that it would begin to SSL and HTTPS As a factor in its search ranking . There are so many uses SSL Website , The reality is that , If there is no valid certificate , The website is unlikely to get a high ranking （ Or impossible ）.Google Clearly supports and recognizes the use of SSL Certificates to protect your website .

4、 Protect your customers' payments

The encryption we talked about in the second point obviously also applies to payment data . When your customers send their card details to your site , In the address bar HTTPS Indicates that you are encrypting and protecting these details . in fact ,PCI（ Payment card industry ） Regulations require that any payment data transmitted be at least 128 Bit encryption , therefore , If you collect money from customers , Have SSL Certificates are the minimum requirement .

5、 Show your users that you are trustworthy

We have already mentioned , But we will say it again , most important of all , Have SSL The great benefit of certificates is that your customers know they can trust you .

If you don't have this , Try to use Chrome Navigate to your only HTTP Visitors to the site will see a daunting screen with warning signs , Tell them their connection is not secure . It's like there's a big warning barrier outside the store , Warn those who try to enter that if they do, they may steal their wallets . Visitors to the website must click on a very small advanced button to really access the unsafe website .

How to get SSL certificate

Get... For your domain name SSL Certificate validation is very simple . The general practice is to send a digital certificate to CA The issuing authority makes an application . because CA Is the third party , So their digital signature is considered to be credible .

After certification, you can obtain SSL certificate , You should apply it to your website through the server . Usually , Your site host will handle activation , After that, users will be able to access your website safely .

SSL How much does the certificate cost

Debating whether to get SSL On certificate , The benefits outweigh the disadvantages . But the most common obstacle domain owners face is finding the right one for their site SSL certificate .

Different issuing authorities CA, There is also a big difference in price , So buy advanced SSL The cost of the certificate is usually per year 500-3000 Between RMB , The price depends on the level of service you need . Some packages cost far more than that , And on the other hand , The purchase price of some basic packages is as low as... Per year 480 About RMB .

How to update SSL certificate

Once your SSL Certificate expired , Your website will be vulnerable to hackers . Fortunately, , You can up to 90 Days to update SSL Validity of certificate ：

First , Generate a new certificate signing request (CSR).CSR Is part of the encoded text that identifies your company name and domain name . You need to submit it to your at the time of renewal SSL provider .

Successfully completed CSR after , You can log in to your initial application SSL The account created when the certificate , And choose whether you want a one-year or two-year certificate , Then confirm your order .

Once approved , Your website will continue to receive your SSL Certificate protection .