The failure to protect a visitor’s personal data is a major theme when talking about internet security. The fact that personal data can be compromised is the primary concern of Internet users when choosing whether to visit your website or not. You can reduce security risks and protect visitors’ data on your website using an SSL certificate. In this article, you will discover the benefits of having an SSL certificate for your website.
What is an SSL certificate?
Briefly, in the absence of an SSL certificate, the information sent between your computer and the website you visit can be intercepted and even modified. By having SSL, you certify to your visitors that their connection is secure and nobody can intercept it, plus that your website is legitimate and you are who you claim to be.
SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is a protocol for encrypting communications in computer networks. Due to its many advantages, SSL has become an industry standard, being used by millions of websites to protect their customers.
You’ve certainly visited websites that have ‘https://’ in the address bar instead of ‘HTTP://.’ This indicates that your browser is using an encrypted connection.
There are many types of SSL certificates within different price range, but their usage can be categorized on the level of information the visitors provide to you. For a simple static website that only gathers data such as IP, location, time and so on, a free SSL certificate is more than enough.
It takes just a few minutes to install a free SSL certificate on your website. Here are five reasons to do so:
1. Protects visitor data
Internet communication between two computers involves the passage of data through multiple network equipment. There is a risk of interception in each of these nodes.
Every time a visitor completes a web form on your website, it sends the data to the hosting server. E-mail addresses, messages, physical addresses, ordered products, credit cards, all this, and much more information that is sent through a form can be intercepted if they are not encrypted.
The problem is even worse for wireless networks that have different vulnerabilities and where physical access to network equipment is not required. Interception is done “through the air.”
2. Ensures the integrity of the websites’ content
The content of a website can be changed at any intermediate point of communication between the visitor’s personal computer and the computer serving the website (called a server).
Not just the texts on the website. Modifying the website content is an attack vector that can infect with viruses the visitors’ computers.
3. Increase confidence in your brand
Also, the SSL certificate also has the function to confirm the authenticity of your website.
Visitors feel secure knowing that the website is the one they claim to be, and appreciate you taking proactive steps in protecting their data and reducing the risk of viruses.
Moreover, this proof of professionalism increases confidence in your brand.
4. Optimize your site for search engines
Google has said itself since 2014 that it uses this factor of having an SSL certificate as one of the algorithms that make your website rank better in the search results. In other words, websites with SSL certificates are ranked better in Google’s search results which makes it a good reason for you to install an SSL certificate.