Why SSL for Your Website is Critical

What is an SSL Certificate?

Have you ever noticed that some URLs start with http://, while others start with https://?

Maybe you noticed that extra "s" when you were browsing websites that require giving over sensitive information, like when you were paying bills online.

But where'd that extra "s" come from, and what does it mean?

To put it simply, the extra "s" means your connection to that website is secure and encrypted; any data you enter is safely shared with that website. The technology that powers that little "s" is called SSL, which stands for “Secure Sockets Layer.”

As a consumer, you always want to see https:// when visiting any site you trust with your essential information. As a membership club, you'll want to make sure you have an SSL or two for your members and visitors.

By default, your Member Jungle site is covered by a basic SSL certificate to ensure your members and visitors are always protected from hackers trying to intercept their information but did you know there are other upgraded SSL options?  First, let me explain why SSL for your website is critical and how it protects your members and visitors.

 

Why SSL for Your Website is Critical

Trust, Authentication, and Encryption are the three pillars of protection an SSL certificate provides to anyone visiting your website.  Without this protection a hacker can potentially monitor and hijack the traffic between your web browser and server, and steal any information they like. 

This is exactly why web browsers like Google Chrome flag a website as “insecure” if it isn’t protected by an SSL certificate.  

Many search engines are now penalising insecure websites by pushing them down the organic search results in favour of secure websites.  All the more reason to make sure your website is covered by an SSL certificate!

 

How Does SSL Provide Trust?

When you visit a website protected by SSL your web browser will show a “padlock” icon or a “green address bar” to show the visitor their connection is secure.  In the case of an Extended Validation “EV” certificate, it means the website owner has gone through comprehensive checks to ensure they are legitimate.  EV certificates also provide a greater level of warranty cover in the event of data theft.

How Does SSL Provide Authentication?

Authentication in this sense means you, as a website visitor, can be sure your data is being sent to the correct server and not an imposter or hacker trying to steal your information.  This process happens underneath the covers between your web browser and the destination server. If your web browser successfully authenticates with the server it will display a “padlock” or “green address bar”.

  

How does SSL Provide Encryption?

An SSL certificate is used to encrypt the data between your web browser and the destination server as it travels across the internet.  Along the way your data will pass through many different servers and various networks until it reaches its destination. SSL encryption provides privacy and data integrity throughout the transfer.

What are the Different Types of Certificates?

There are three types of certificates.  The main difference between them is the depth of verification before issuance and amount of warranty cover they provide:

• Domain Validated (DV): domain validated certificates require the lowest level of verification.  Typically, proof of ownership of the domain is enough to warrant issuance of a DV certificate. DV certificates generally offer a small amount of warranty cover, typically from $10,000-$500,000 depending on the vendor

• Organisation Validated (OV): organisation validated certificates require proof of business or organisation documents to warrant issuance of the certificate.  The types of proof required differ but generally a legal existence record or other variant will suffice. OV certificates generally offer a greater amount of warranty cover, typically from $100,000-$1,500,000 depending on the vendor

• Extended Validation (EV): extended validation certificates offer the top protection and offer the greatest warranty cover.  Extensive proof of business ownership and multiple documents must be supplied to warrant issuance of the certificate. EV certificates also display the business name in the address bar, typically in green.  EV certificates offer the greatest amount of warranty cover, typically from $1,000,000-$1,750,000 depending on the vendor.

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