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What is an SSL Certificate 2024? Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

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In this post, you’ll get to know about What is an SSL Certificate? URLs are short for Uniform Resource Locators (Uniform Resource Locators). Google, for example, is: https://google.com

Did you know that some URLs begin with HTTP:// and others with HTTPS://? The letter S clearly distinguishes these two URL formats. But what does that additional S mean? The S stands for security.

No, it doesn’t imply the website you’re visiting is secure; it only means it has an extra layer of encryption. It also means the website is safer to use and exchange critical information with, such as credit card numbers.

A blog, website, or e-commerce business owner should carefully examine the benefits this security and protection technology may provide. If you do decide to go for it, you’ll need to get an SSL certificate.

What is an SSL Certificate?

SSL is an acronym for Secure Sockets Layer. It creates a safe, encrypted link between a web server and your browser using cryptographic methods. Pretend it’s a private communication line, as in espionage movies.

What Is SSL Certificate

An SSL certificate is a short data file that identifies a site. When you visit a website, your web browser asks a web server for its contents. This allows the SSL certificate to validate the website and keep your data secure.

What is an SSL Certificate working?

SSL uses Public Key Cryptography, which uses two lengthy strings of random integers called ‘keys’. They are both public keys. The public key is freely accessible and may be used to encrypt any material.

But the public key can’t decode it. Here comes the secret key. Only the private key can decrypt a communication encrypted using the public key. If a user sends you a message using your website’s forum, your public key will encrypt it.

Because only you (your webserver) have access to the private key, only you can decrypt and view this message. A hacker stealing the message on its route to the server will only acquire the secret, cryptographic code, not the message itself.

Why Does My Website Need SSL?

An SSL certificate has several advantages. It also:

  • Secures user data
  • Prevents hackers from creating a fake site
  • Confirms website ownership
  • Trust and conversions increase
  • Boosts SEO

An SSL certificate converts your HTTP web address to HTTPS. That makes consumers feel more comfortable disclosing sensitive information like credit card numbers.

This important trust signal is why 83% of consumers globally distrust websites without SSL certificates. Without an SSL certificate, most modern web browsers will display a “not secure” warning. Less likely to join up, inquire about services or purchase what you offer!

So, where can I acquire an SSL?

CAS is the organization that receives and assesses SSL certificate requests from various businesses. These can only issue SSL certificates after verifying an entity’s identification and authenticity.

Nowadays, most prominent domain registrars and website providers offer an SSL certificate as part of a domain name or hosting package. Your SSL certificate installation and activation procedures may be specific to them.

Quick Links:

Conclusion: What is an SSL Certificate?

Above, we discussed the concept of SSL as well as the different origins that it has. We hope that this essay met your expectations and exceeded them in some way. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

If you have anything to add or want to express your point of view, please let us know in the comments section below so we can help you better.

Diksha Dutt

A graduate of the IIMC, Diksha enjoys talking about self-growth and online learning platforms. Diksha has a passion for education and entrepreneurship, and she has been involved in both fields for over a decade. She aims to help others make more informed decisions about the best online resources, courses, and education platforms. She writes about online learning platforms and online courses on Megablogging.org, where she reviews and recommends the best resources for different skill levels and goals. When Diksha is not working, she enjoys reading books, playing chess, and traveling with her husband and two kids. You can follow her on LinkedIn and FaceBook.

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