Secure Sockets Layer is what the acronym SSL stands for. It is a significant Internet security and authentication protocol. SSL proves to be the mainstream technology standard for keeping an internet connection secure and preserving any sensitive data shared between two computers, prohibiting hackers from viewing and altering any information received, including extremely personal information. The two devices used in this exchange could be a server and a client (for instance, a shopping website and browser) or a server to server system (for example, an application with personally identifiable information or payroll information).
SSL has been a hot topic in web circles due to Google’s push for more widespread SSL usage. Despite this, many online marketing agencies are still confused about how SSL works and why it’s important or what SSL stands for!
How Does It Work
SSL is a protocol for encrypting and authenticating data transferred between a web server and an application (like your browser), making your website more secure for both you and your visitors. TLS, or Transport Layer Security, is the successor to the original SSL protocol and is more up-to-date.
When you install an SSL certificate on your server, a browser connects to it, and the SSL (or TLS) protocol is activated. This encrypts data exchanged between the server and the browser (or across servers); the details are obviously a little more technical. SSL sits on top of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), thereby acting as a security blanket. It allows higher protocol levels to stay the same while maintaining a secure connection. As a result, the other protocol layers can function normally beneath the SSL layer.
With this safety layer, an attacker will only be able to observe which IP and port are connected or roughly how much data is being transferred if an SSL certificate is utilised appropriately. Further, it is possible for hackers to close the connection, but both the server and the user will be aware that this was done by a third party. They will not, however, be able to intercept any information, making this a largely futile step as the critical information is safe with the connection being encrypted.
Benefits Of Adopting SSL Certificate
Many social marketing agencies believe that SSL/TLS is only beneficial to sites that process sensitive information such as credit cards or financial information. While SSL/TLS is unquestionably essential for those sites, its advantages are far from restricted.
One of the key advantages of SSL/TLS is Encryption. When you or your users enter data on your site, it passes via several touchpoints before arriving at its eventual destination. Without SSL/TLS, this data is transferred as plain text, which can be intercepted or altered by hostile parties. SSL/TLS provides point-to-point encryption to ensure data security during transmission.
Authentication is another important benefit. A functioning SSL/TLS connection ensures that data is transferred to and received from the intended server, rather than a malicious “man in the middle.” That is, it aids in the prevention of malicious individuals mimicking a website.
The third significant advantage of SSL/TLS is Data integrity. A message authentication code, or MAC, is included in SSL/TLS connections to ensure that data is not lost or altered during transmission. This ensures that the material transmitted is received without any modifications or harmful changes.
Aside from the stated benefits, there are some less technical advantages, such as the potential for higher Google organic search ranking and increased visitor confidence. Thus, there is widespread adoption of online marketing for SSL among marketing agencies.
Conclusion
Overall, SSL/TLS is a technology critical for building safe and secure web space. We recommend installing an SSL/TLS certificate if you haven’t already done so. Google Chrome has begun to issue more harsh penalties/warnings to websites that fail to install SSL certificates. These penalties started in January 2017, when a ‘Not secure’ warning appeared on pages that requested credit card information or passwords without an SSL certificate. Now that you understand how SSL works, get yourself the SSL certificate and quickly secure your website!