Why Your Business Can’t Live Without SSLs
Secure Socket Layers are a must have for any and all websites, and here’s why.
It’s slightly ironic that one of the internet’s most important security features has its origins in an obsolete 1990s web browser. Yet twenty years after Netscape Navigator introduced millions of people to the World Wide Web its Secure Socket Layer protection continues to underpin safe web browsing around the world.
What is SSL?
SSL has evolved a great deal from those humble pre-Millennial origins. Indeed, it has largely been usurped by a superior method of securing connections known as Transport Layer Security – that is still known as SSL. Yes, it might seem confusing, but SSL has become the globally recognized shorthand for encrypted communications.
Although TLS uses a more sophisticated method of asymmetric cryptography (encrypting data that can’t be accessed without independent authentication), the principles of protecting sensitive data transmissions from prying eyes remains unaltered from Netscape’s original concept.
Security Indicator Lights Are On
Equally, the consumer experience of using secure socket layers has barely changed over the last twenty years. That means most people will recognize evidence of an SSL certificate being activated – an https website address, a padlock symbol and/or a green address bar in the browser. These indicate that the devices sending and receiving data have shared a complex security key, which prevents individual data packets being visible to third parties.
These universally-recognized symbols of protection are vital for establishing and maintaining confidence in a website’s security. Indeed, businesses with any ecommerce functionality or personal data retention requirements simply can’t live without SSL certificates. Even inexperienced internet users know that data sent via an unsecured connection could be intercepted and read, enabling eavesdroppers to steal sensitive information for nefarious purposes.
Few people would risk completing a transaction through an unsecured website, so an ecommerce company without SSL certification will go out of business before long. In an age of high-profile data hacks and leaks, consumer confidence cannot be valued too highly.
Make It Official
Despite being essential, the process of attaining SSL certification isn’t straightforward. These official documents can only be obtained from approved Certification Authorities, who will establish whether the applicant is legitimate.
Once they’ve been vetted, permission is granted for an SSL certificate to be installed on the host server. It can then convert unencrypted communications into a more secure https format. Modern web browsers will check the validity of a certificate, before establishing a secure connection for the duration of any data transfers.
This accreditation process can take just one second, though browser issues occasionally see legitimate SSL certificates being questioned or rejected. Keeping web browsers up to date is therefore crucial, for ensuring valid certificates can be identified.
Get Encrypted
It should also be noted that while there are different levels of SSL certificates available. Extended Validation is the standard website to which administrators should aspire. It’s been calculated that EV’s 2048-bit root certificate encryption would take a hacker using a standard desktop computer 6.4 quadrillion years to crack – that’s 500,000 times longer than the universe has been in existence.
The resources required to steal someone’s credit card details or bank account data from a secured connection demonstrates why SSL certification is a must-have, for any online platform requesting or storing sensitive data.