SSL is the confirmation that you have a secured website. Google mark only that website “secure” that has an SSL certificate. The presence of “HTTPS” and a lock mark at the beginning of a website’s URL is an indication of an SSL certificate for the website. All other sites have considered non-secure by Google.
SSL certificate
SSL (Secure socket layer) provides encrypted and secure communication between a web server and an internet browser. In simple terms, the information between the two is only visible to the user and website due to the encryption mechanism of SSL
SSL encrypted website always sends a key to the browser of a person who tries to access the SSL encrypted website. The site is only accessible if the secure connection has enabled. The absence of an SSL certificate may result in damaging the confidence and trust of people on your website.
SSL certificate has hidden information about the certificate holder’s name, the expiry date of the certificate, a serial number of certificate, the digital signature of the authority that issued this certificate, and a copy of the holder’s public key. Also, a website URL indicates the presence or absence of an SSL certificate. That’s how.
HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure)
The presence of “https” instead of “Http” at the start of your website URL is an indication of an SSL encrypted website. The letter “s” at the end of “Https” represents the security protocol that is absent in “Http.” It establishes a secure connection between your website and the internet browser of the user. Anyone will have the idea about the presence of an SSL certificate, just by looking at your website’s URL.
You can switch to Https from Http by installing the right SSL for your website.
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Importance of SSL and HTTPS for website
The most important factor is, the presence of an SSL certificate is the only way to rank your website on Google. If you have a website URL that starts from “https” and not from “https,” there is only a 1% chance of its ranking on Google. Other than that, we will have an idea about the presence of an SSL certificate due to many factors.
While talking about network security, we always consider three main factors:
- Encryption
- Authentication
- Integrity
Encryption
Encryption, in simple words, is an assurance about the confidentiality of your data. An encrypted data is a surety that this data is only accessible to you, and no one other can have it without your permission or public key information. SSL certificate ensures encryption by storing a copy of the certificate holder’s public key.
Authentication
If you have any doubts that someone can make a copy of your website by taking all of your personal information from your site, then use the SSL certificate. SSL certificate makes sure that only has the authenticity for this site, and no one else can take your information from it. The presence of a green color lock at the website URL is the surety of this factor.
Integrity
To give your website user’s a secure platform where they can enter their data without hesitation is the task of SSL certificate. SSL ensures data integrity and helps in making the trust of clients upon your website.
Some people are concern about the rates of SSL certificates. Honestly, the price entirely depends upon the hosting provider of your website. Also, depending on your website, you can buy a single domain, multi-domain, or a wildcard SSL.
Consider reading Types of web hosting services
The presence of SSL and Https is the guarantee of a secure site. One can never deny their importance and especially after the fact that Google ranks only those websites who have SSL verified or who have Https in their URL.