One of the common questions that web hosting customers ask hosts is in regards to the option of getting a SSL certificate. There are some people that swear by it, and others that don’t know what it can do or whether or not they even need one. The simplest way to understand this is in regards to safety. Protection of data is the name of the game when it comes to these solutions, but in regards to whether or not you need one? You’ll need to consider several different elements before you can have a definitive answer. The following will explain what a SSL certificate is and how you may need to use one for your website.
Defining The SSL Certificate
The technical answer to this is in regards to information. When you have a SSL certificate in place, you are going to take data files from one page and bind them with a code that’s encrypted overall. The encryption doesn’t allow anyone to see what the information exchange is. This is evidenced on a website with the icon of a lock in most browsers. When you see the lock in place, you know that information is secure over the port 443. Secure connections from a web based server and the internet go through this route, and when you have a SSL certificate in place, you are ensuring that data that is taken from a visitor is not made public knowledge.
The SSL certificate can bind a domain name, server, and can protect identities of individuals, companies, and even contact forms. This allows security measures to be in place through all major web traffic, and protect from malicious users that may land on your page and want to take a hacking role.
Does Everyone Need A SSL Certificate?
The short answer is no. Not everyone needs to purchase one of these solutions, however, there are some people that should heavily consider it. If you’re going to set up a shopping cart that is within the scripting of your page, your site needs a SSL certificate. If you’re going to request information like email addresses, personal information, and anything else in regards to exchanging private data, then you will to have one of these in place. Identity of the user and any private policy you decide to use should fall in line with the usage of this option within your web hosting package.
Peace of Mind For Web Users
With so many malicious websites out there, it becomes important to look at securing your domain name and hosting website. Without protecting yourself and others, anyone can jump onto your server and run scripting that can harm your site and anyone that visits your page. It’s for that reason that you may want to have a SSL certificate in place just in case.
While it’s not 100% necessary for the average website, it does deliver a sense of peace for the web user. This is especially true in regards to online sales. If you’re planning on setting up a store you cannot go without having a SSL certificate in place. It’s just not wise. Does everyone need one, though? No. It’s not a bad idea, though.
