SSL Certificates

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, it is cryptographic protocol that provide security and data integrity for communications over networks such as the Internet. Data sent via an SSL connection is protected by encryption, a mechanism that prevents eavesdropping and tampering with any transmitted data. Having an SSL on your site makes businesses and consumers eager to submit their confidential details over a web site e.g. credit card or other payment details for e-commerce web sites or other personal details shared for sign in to regular online services.

Why SSL Certificate Is Needed?

Buyers and online service users are getting more and more cautious when they browse, do their shopping online or just use online services. When it comes to submitting private details online most of the people are looking for the padlock icon on the bottom of their browser, even they look for the "https://" prefix in their browser's address bar before sharing any information. If your web site does not support encrypted connection and does not have valid SSL Certificate, your visitors may leave your web site without making any purchase or free of charge service signup. They simply do not feel confident to submit their credit card or other personal details over web sites that seem not to be well secured. You can change this, return you customers trust and increase your buyers and online users by purchasing a valid SSL Certificate.

How It Works?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) issued by a trusted authority such as RapidSSL or GeoTrust is installed on your domain's hostname i.e. secure.domain.com. When there is a client of yours that browse over https://secure.domain.com the connection between the browser and the server is encrypted with 128, 256 bit key. Any data send between your client's browser and the server is encrypted before sending and decrypted after received on the server. In that way information transmitted over the Internet is encrypted and signed as secured by this trusted authority. Browser when sending data over https:// checks the validity of the SSL Certificate with the issuance authority. SSL technology protects your Web site and makes it easy for your Web site visitors to trust you.

Do You Need SSL for your Web Site?

Valid SSL Certificate is a must if:

Your site is an online store and accepts credit card payments or other orders
Your site offers online services, subscribers has to go over signup process
Your site supports login to user accounts, containing private or secure details
Your site has any other type of transmitting client's data over the Internet

So to me, it is obvious that any web master who intends to take his services to the next level would think about getting SSL certificates.

hmm. just something new now.

.NET

.NET:
hmm. just something new now.

.NET

It's been there for a while just that we haven't yet explored that level of possibility.

.NET:
hmm. just something new now.

.NET

Serious? You are joking right?

Guy pls, hw do we get SSL Certifate?

Cogs: Guy pls, hw do we get SSL Certifate?

You will need to be on a dedicated server or dedicated IP to have one installed on your website. Contact your website host for more info!

This picture describes perfectly what SSL does



Does SSL Prevent Hacking?

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SSL simply encrypts the data in transit. .and protects users of your site from having their communications intercepted by a 3rd party.

An SSL certificate does not validate the content of your site, nor does it prevent anyone from breaking into your site as a result of poor coding.

So let's say a web app vuln like SQL Injection exists on your website/ web app, having a SSL certificate WON'T stop the hacker from dumping your database. .

People tend to have that misconception and feel they are HACK-PROOF the moment they install SSL cert.

Moving forward, even the sole function the SSL has been known to do i.e. encrypt connection in transit has been compromised.

In 2009, a hacker g0tmi1k released a Proof Of Concept where he stripped the SSL (i.e. Stripped off the S behind https:// and then sniffed the connection).

Nothing is safe out there folks!

This info is coming at the right time... Thanks folks

joomlaman:

You will need to be on a dedicated server or dedicated IP to have one installed on your website. Contact your website host for more info!

most hosts offer shared ssl

The amazing thing is that some web browsers (if not all) warn the user that a site is not secure for transfer of sensitive information (e.g credit card information) if an ssl certificate is absent. Yet, some will refuse to buy one complaining of the price. Now compare this to the number of customers that will be lost. Some people sha...

Thanks Slyrox for pointing that out.

Many will happily drop their card details by mere seeing an SSL padlock that costs $6 (godaddy ssl)
it can be purchased with no verification whatsoever

SSL does not guarantee you are dealing with whom you think you are dealing with.
It only helps you safely transfer you detail to the server, protecting it from network sniffers, ISPs.
the website owner or developer will have your card details in clear text afterall.
it solely boils down to the integrity of the company and how they have structured their transaction processes.

Another thing to note, from the merchant's point of view is that, it is better not to install SSL than install one and reference a link to a non-SSL external resource on your https page.

the result is your browser notifies the buyer that some content of your site is insecure
a notification that will not show up if no SSL was installed.