Meta description Generating an SSL certificate can be a tough procedure for those who have yet to learn! Keep reading to learn the easiest method!
Most sites take users’ information through contact forms, newsletter subscriptions, or online sales.
When online transactions occur at the site, so the last thing is your credit card information. Here the role of the SSL certificate starts.
SSL security can be considered an additional layer of security. It’s a must for every type of site. Generating an SSL certificate can be difficult, but we have made it easier for you.
Undoubtedly, it keeps the users’ data secure and helps you get a better place in search engines.
When you start thinking of creating your website, an SSL certificate is not only for business sites – any kind of website benefits from an added layer of security. Not only does an SSL certificate help ensure the protection of customer data, but it also improves the site’s position on search engine results and its credibility.
This article will discuss different aspects of SSL – from its definition and benefits to its misconceptions.
The process to get the SSL certificate (step by step)
1. Get proper website information
SSL certificate is issued by a well-known association called Certificate Authority (CA).
Getting an SSL certificate is easy, especially when you are ready with the information asked by CA.
Here is all the information needed by CA.
A Unique IP Address
Each certificate will need a separate and unique IP address. Or less, people having old devices can’t access your site. With this tool, you can find out your website’s IP address.
An Accurate WHOIS Record
After requesting an SSL certificate for a domain, the authority will verify that you have a domain name. For that, they will go through the domain’s WHOIS record.
Business/Organization Validation
High-assurance certificate, the certificate authority will examine government databases to verify your business.
2. Decide Which SSL Certificate You Need
Generating an SSL certificate is relatively easy. Choosing the right category of SSL certificate is needed.
There are a variety of SSL certificates, and they are divided into different categories, such as
Validation Level
It included Domain Validation, Organization Validation, and Extended Validation.
Secured Domains
It includes Single Domain, Wildcard, and Multi-Domain.
Let’s get into more detail and learn more about each category.
Domain Validation
It’s ideal for businesses which keep their information confidential. It’s the cheapest validation that assures you have authority over the domain.
Organisation Validation:
It’s mid-level validation. It keeps check and balance on your domain authority and other organisation details.
Extended Validation
This extended validation is the most costly among other options. It checks your domain authority and organisation details; at the same, it will check the company’s location and legal existence.
Single Domain:
It offers great security for a single subdomain.
Wildcard
It gives security to unlimited subdomains of a single domain.
Multi-Domain
It protects more than 100 domains with only an SSL certificate.
1. Choose a Certificate Authority
A Certificate Authority (CA) is an organisation which proceed SSL certificates. Many CAs work worldwide, but only some CAs have a global SSL market share. These bigger players include GoDaddy and Fynd Platform.
Depending on your budget and business aims, you can opt for any authentic CA that can offer you the SSL certificate you want.
2. Generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR)
A certificate signing request(CSR) is a file shown on your web server before requesting an SSL certificate.
Later, the same details in the file will be used by CA to issue your SSL certificate.
This process is dependent on the web server and hosting of your website.
3. Submit the CSR to Your Certificate Authority
After generating the CSR, move to the website of the CA you chose and buy the type of SSL certificate you like.
Once the check-out process is done, you must submit the CSR file ( created in the last step).
4. Await Validation by Your Certificate Authority
It depends on the type of SSL certificate you purchase, and the CA can take a few hours to some days to verify the details and generate an issue with your site’s SSL certificate.
5. Install Your SSL Certificate
After your SSL certificate request is processed, you will get an email through which you can access your SSL certificate. Apart from that, download it from the user account.
The operating system plays an important role in installing an SSL certificate. Also, contact your web host provider. Do they share any instructions on installing an SSL certificate?
8 Can I Get a Free SSL Certificate?
Yes, you can get a free SSL certificate. Many hosting platforms offer free SSL certificates, such as Bluehost and Fynd Platform.
Why Do I Need an SSL Certificate?
The role of an SSL certificate is to protect your details. Keep reading to know more reasons for having an SSL certificate.
Improve Security
You can protect your site with many things, but with an SSL certificate, you add an extra layer of protection and safety.
It doesn’t matter if your site accepts transactions; keeping your users login and personal information safe is important.
If the site does not have SSL, it will use HTTP, a text-based protocol, making it efficient to read the traffic.
With the help of cryptographic keys, HTTP encrypts data and offers more strict, complex security making it tough for attackers to intercept data.
Moreover, the HTTP protocol keeps your site safe against threats such as man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks.
There is a possibility that attackers will steal the information or redirect traffic to a hacking site, where you will be asked to enter information.
If, by chance, the attacker stops the connection because the SSL certificate ensures they cannot decrypt the information.
Establish Trust
Earning your customer’s trust is important for online business, so users need a proper guarantee before giving personal details.
According to research, around 17% of shoppers leave shopping in between as they don’t trust the site so that they can give their credit card details.
With an SSL certificate, you can assure the customers that they safely exchange information with the website, strengthening their confidence and trust. You will be one step ahead of competitors who don’t have an SSL certificate.
Moreover, it will verify users’ website authenticity and ownership before signing in.
Makes SEO strong
By having an SSL certificate, your SEO will be strong and strengthened. Most search engines prefer a website or any website builder’s security and safety as essential factors for your site ranking.
The role of search engines is to give users a protective web browsing experience. However, web browsers such as Google Chrome or Internet explorer show a “Not Secure” warning message on sites which not have SSL certificates.
You will be on the upper level if you have an SSL certificate compared to your competitors. With an SSL certificate, your site ranking will improve on search engines.
What If My Website Doesn’t Have an SSL Certificate?
Technology has developed a lot over time, and these security attacks have advanced.
As per the research, the average data breach cost in 2021 was $4.24 million. With an SSL certificate, the security attacks are lessened.
Moreover, apart from financial losses, these attacks will threaten your customer’s personal information and impact your business’s reputation in the market. Let’s consider the Equifax data breach as an example.
Equifax is a great credit reporting agency based in the United States. In September 2017, they disclosed that their systems had been hacked, leaking the personal information of 148 million Americans. Later discovered that their SSL certificates had expired.
To settle the matter, the company agreed to $425 million to compensate customers affected by the data breach.
This site also has visitors from European Union who should observe the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). However, it’s a law passed to keep citizens’ information safe online.
Conclusion
Users always wanted fast loading and secure browsing experience, whether the site is small or big. With SSL, certificate guarantees that your data will be safe between the web server and the browser, thus making the site more secure and trustworthy.
With our mentioned step-by-step, generating an SSL certificate becomes super easier.
SSL certificate is an extra layer of protection to the site and improves your ranking on search engines. Secured sites with SSL certificates have a better opportunity to get good rankings.
With only an SSL certificate, you can not get the best security for your site. To get a better-secured site, you have to implement other measures too.
For any queries, please comment below. Thank you
