What is an SSL Certificate?
An SSL certificate encrypts and protects the information exchanged between your website and its visitors. It can encrypt various types of information such as usernames, passwords, sign-up forms and payment information. If your website doesn’t have an SSL certificate all the information exchanged between your site and its visitors can be intercepted, manipulated, and stolen.
What does SSL stand for?
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, which is a security protocol that uses encryption to secure and protect data between web servers (the website) and web browsers (the website visitor).
What is the difference between SSL and TLS?
TLS stands for Transport Layer Security and is a newer and better security protocol than SSL. TLS is the default protocol used by most websites today. In general, people use the terms SSL and TLS interchangeably.
Who provides SSL certificates?
SSL Certificates are issued by a Certificate Authority (CA), which you can get either directly from them or through your website hosting provider.
The easiest way is to purchase it through your website hosting provider who can provide you with different types of SSL certificates from different Certificate Authorities.
Here’s a list of possible Certificate Authorities that your website hosting provider could offer:
Here’s the different types of SSL certificates you can choose from:
- Domain Validated (DV) certificates
- Organization Validated (OV) certificates
- Extended Validation (EV) certificates
Depending on your domains, you may also need:
- Wildcard certificates
- Multi-domain certificates
Your website hosting provider will be able to advise you on which SSL certificates would be best for your website.
Do I need to pay for an SSL certificate?
You can get a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt. The majority of website hosting providers offer Let’s Encrypt as a default SSL certificate for your website. Let’s Encrypt is a good option for a basic SSL certificate for a single website.
A basic breakdown between Let’s Encrypt and paid SSL certificates
| Feature | Let’s Encrypt | Paid Options |
| Price | Free | Paid |
| Validation | Domain Validated (DV) | Organization Validated (OV) or Extended Validation (EV) |
| Features | Basic | Additional features available |
| Budget | Budget-friendly | More expensive |
The decision between paid and free SSL certificates comes down to the level of security and features you need. For example, if your e-commerce website processes payments, a paid SSL certificate may offer a better solution compared to a free one.
How do I know my website has an SSL certificate?
The easiest way to check if your website has an SSL certificate is to look for a padlock icon next to it in your web browser. You can also left-click on your website’s URL in the address bar to see if the URL starts with “https//”.
If you are still unsure, you can contact your website hosting provider for help.