Since the majority of businesses today rely on the internet for their marketing and sales, security of their websites should be a number one priority. In 2018, cybercriminal revenues reached $1.5 trillion. To be able to generate this amount of revenue, cybercriminals attack businesses of all sizes. They can use ransomware to attack hospitals or they can insert malware into your local bakery’s website and steal users credit card information. So, what can you do to protect your website? Getting an SSL certificate for your website would be a great start.
What is an SSL Certificate?
SSL stands for “Secure Sockets Layer”. It helps security by encrypting information that is entered into your website. The SSL certificate will only allow the server and the users computer to view the information. This means that important information like contacts, credit cards, and logins will not be seen by any outside intruders. If you are not sure if your website has an SSL certificate or not, check your URL in the search bar. The “s” in “https” indicates that the website has an SSL. If a website URL only has “http”, then the website does not have an SSL. Google Chrome will also tell you if your website is secure or not by saying “Not Secure” to the left of your URL in the search bar. If it is secure, there will be a locked padlock instead.
Why Does My Website Need an SSL Certificate?
As mentioned earlier, an SSL certificate will prevent cybercriminals from stealing valuable information from the people that use
your website. But, an SSL certificate offers more than just security. Google will give you an SEO advantage over unsecured sites without an SSL. Even if you have an SSL certificate, this does not mean that you will automatically outrank your competitors for certain keywords since there are hundreds of factors that go into SEO. Having an SSL may even act as a tiebreaker for even search results. Having an SSL also builds trust with your customers and users. Imagine if you were about to enter in you credit card information into a website you wanted to buy something from, then you notice that “Not Secure” sign next to the URL. You’re going to pretty feel uncomfortable clicking that submit button, aren’t you? If you wouldn’t enter your information in on an unsecure website, why would your users do it on your unsecure website. Having an SSL certificate will increase and improve your conversion rates because of this.
Where Can I Get One?
There are many places on the internet to get an SSL certificate for your website, some are trustworthy and some are not. Some top rated and trusted websites to get an SSL certificate from are SSL.com, GoDaddy, and GlobalSign. There are different types of SSL certificates you can buy based off the type of business you own. Domain validated certificates are recommended for small websites and businesses. Organizational validated certificates are recommended for medium sized businesses. Finally, extended validated certificates are recommend for websites that conduct financial transactions. You will need to verify that you are the owner of your domain and or business depending on which certificate you need. You will need to verify your business with extended validated certificates. But, you only have to verify ownership of your domain with domain validated certificates.
Having an SSL certificate for your website will allow users information to be more secure. It will also help increase your SEO and build trust with your users. Look into getting an SSL certificate for your website today, to prevent cybercriminals from intruding on your business.