Introduction
SSL certificates are a secure way to encrypt data that is sent over the Internet. They’re used by websites that want to ensure the safety of their customers’ information, and they’re also required for various services provided by Google.
An SSL certificate is a data file hosted on a website that encrypts information sent between the site and its visitors. The certificate authenticates the website, protects the data its visitors send over the Internet, and establishes a secure connection to prevent third parties from accessing it.
An SSL certificate makes sure that only authorized users can access your site using https:// instead of http:// or other protocols like ftp:// or sftp://
SSL certificates use two different keys to encrypt data: one private and one public. When someone visits an SSL-enabled website, the certificate activates a key to lock the data being sent. At the receiving endpoint, another key unlocks this information. Anyone intercepting this data in transit only sees gibberish as a result of encryption.
The private key is used to encrypt data from A (the server) to B (your computer). The public key can be used by anyone with access to it – including A and B – so long as they have your private key available for decryption purposes! This means that anyone who has access to your computer/server’s public IP address can see everything you’re doing online without needing any knowledge about what type of server you’re using or how it works internally; all they need is access through their own personal browser settings screen etcetera…
The secure connection is made when your browser requests to interact with a web server that has an SSL certificate installed. Your browser verifies with the Certificate Authority (CA) that issued the certificate to ensure authenticity. If everything checks out, your browser will activate the padlock or green bar and display HTTPS in your address bar so you know you are connected securely to your encrypted website.
The Certificate Authority’s role is similar to what happens when someone applies for a job at an office building: they check references and background information before issuing a security clearance or granting access into their facility. In this case, it’s checking references on who issued certificates for websites—in other words: if there’s been any kind of hacking incident in which someone has gotten hold of private keys used by CAs themselves…that would be bad news!
Having an SSL certificate on your website increases trust in it and can help you avoid Google penalties for not having one.
Having an SSL certificate on your website increases trust in it and can help you avoid Google penalties for not having one.
- Security: When a user visits your site, they will see a green padlock in the browser address bar. This indicates that the page is secure and has been encrypted with an SSL certificate.
- SEO: Google uses SSL certificates as part of its ranking algorithm, so it’s best to have one if you want your site to rank well in search results. If users see that they’re getting redirected or told they need to enter their password again when they arrive at their destination (which happens if there isn’t one), then this may hurt their chances of being found by other web users searching for similar things!
Conclusion
If you’re using WordPress, the easiest way to get an SSL certificate is to purchase one from a third-party CA. There are several different types of certificates available, including ones that integrate into WordPress or self-signed certificates. If you already have a website, it’s possible that your site already has an SSL certificate installed on it. But if not, there are still plenty of options available at sites like Let’s Encrypt or Comodo
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