Secure your site with SSL

Are you letting hackers see their way clear to…?

These days internet has become heaven for hackers, is not it! I mean to say sometimes for our lack of little extra care to our online transactions, we find ourselves as losers of confidential and private data. Thank God! Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is there to protect our online data transfer.

Now, why this discussion? You have the full right to ask me so. My point is clear – are you someway drawing your back to the SSL certification? Are you full aware that SSL has become affordable and more secure? What? I am not a vendor of SSL certificates. My intention is to suggest you to secure your personal data from theft, even if your site is not an ecommerce website. Protect yourself and your sites’ visitors from data hackers.

Oh this Lock, where is the key?

This is no funny affair my dear reader! I am sure the hackers will certainly feel such disgraced to break the encrypted code that will protect your data from being theft. Once the visitors see the small ‘padlock’ icon or the colored ‘security favicon’ on the navigation bar of browser, they feel secure to provide their personal information. At the same time, it causes headache to hackers or phishers as they fail to break (at least 128 bit) of encrypted data. And yes, the third party, the certificate provider’s ‘security icon’ in the web pages enforces the guarantees for secure online data transfer.

My business is too small and not having any monetary transaction!

Certainly it is a serious statement that comes under consideration when people start to give a second thought to secure the site with SSL. Let’s have a quick count how to secure a site with SSL and why:

• Does your site impart online business with money transaction? If yes, you need SSL. When people pay for any product or service, they use credit card, net banking and the like. If SSL encryption is not present, the personal data may be hacked on the fly.
• If a site offers valuable information and it asks for login to secure users and itself, SSL is in need. There may be ‘user login’ to get some information from a site. To maintain the confidentiality of a user and secure use of data SSL encryption works.
• In the process of any important data or database download, SSL security is high on demand. For various governments, corporate and even small private concern, online data transfer is done. To secure these data download SSL security has to be present.
• Even for secure email services SSL encryption is must to maintain privacy. For web mail services protection of SSL is must to keep the email data and user privacy maintained. Otherwise this useful service (email) falls to the grips of hackers.

Ok! How this SSL works?

Certainly this is another good question. We have to know how SSL works. If it is not clear to us then we can hardly make out the importance SSL in providing utmost optimum security to our all kind online transaction.

I got my keys, but what about yours?

The SSL works with two sets of keys that are unique identities. These keys are called “Private Key” and “Public Key”. These are actually uniquely generated codes that are exchanged between a service provider’s web server and customer machine.

At the time of any online transaction, the requesting browser (customer’s browser) sends automated request to service provider’s server for sending the identity. In return the server sends its identity with SSL certificate (code). Then the browser sends response, if it trusts the process. Then again server sends the digitally signed acknowledged code to start process to start an encrypted session of transaction.

The process works with totally secure passwords (keys). These key are nothing but the identity of the two parties in transaction. When the browser requests retailer or the service provider of its identity (public key), the browser sends its public key (customer’s machine identity). Receiving it the server sends its public key encrypted with the browser’s public key. When the browser receives the key, it can decrypt the code with its private key only. When the decryption is done, again a request with browser public key and server public key goes to the server. This encryption can be decrypted by the server only with its private key. The moment this exchange is done a secure transaction session begins.

How you can be sure that nobody will steal the keys?

Now this seems a great matter of concern, right? No problem, I am telling you how secure is the process. Actually the encryption is a secure method of cryptography and it has its own algorithm that is ever modified and up to date with SSL process.

Formerly in its initial stage, 40 bits of encryption was easily decrypted by the hackers or the phishers. So advanced encryptions process has started with 128 bits. Now even 256 bits of advanced encryption has started and it will take years for the hackers to decrypt the code.

Besides this, the SSL use its own set of protocol in the use of SSL encryption. There is almost impossible chance to break through this protocol.

Can’t there be any guarantee or witness from anybody known and respected?

Oh come one you know that the SSL certification comes from major and reputed certifiers as Verisign or Thawte. These are the major authorities who take guarantee of the certified service provider (you and your website).

The authority (which ever you prefer) Verisign or Thawte to get the certification, always verifies the existence and legal documentation of your company. After you have been found genuine to offer certification, they confer you the certification. It is not that you have money and can easily get SSL certificates.

Remember customers will see their authentication logo in your site and certainly a click on the ‘padlock’ will show your certificate. A customer can and generally relies on these authorities and their certifications.

The change of “http://” to https://

Now you know that your security of online transaction is maximum, if you go for SSL certification of your site. Then there may be a little confusion about the ‘https’ instead of ‘http’. This is nothing but a sense or the mark that shows any particular page is secure by the SSL in application. It confirms that SSL is active for the site. It provides the viewers or the customer that he or she is under secure transaction. And the HTTPS stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure.

Now tell me if my website is eligible for SSL or not?

Every website can be eligible to be secured with SSL. But there are a few points to consider when you are trying to buy a SSL certificate. Let us have a look on them.

• A website has to be developed with proper programming. And there cannot be any ambiguous copyright of the programming. I mean to say the owner of the site has to be the owner of the copyright.
• The web server (may be own or rented) space and the registration of domain name used by the business has to get the permission from the concerned (if any) to purchase SSL.
• The business applying for SSL has to prove that it has the physical existence. The contact reflected on the website needs to match with the physical address.
• Any business applying to get certification needs to show and place legal authorization of business to become secure through SSL.

This thing comes in consideration as certifiers ask for these documents and clarifications. So keep the above points in mind when trying to get SSL for your site.

If I have the legal authority, which SSL certificate will be best for me?

It is fine that you satisfy the general norms of certifications. But you must test your site before buying a SSL certificate. And you should be thinking about suitable certificate.

Get a test or trial version for certification of your site. Check if your site is eligible to get the certification. And if you get things right, you may go for ‘organization validation’ or ‘extended validation’.

If your business is your own (mean to say you as an individual), you are going to get organizational certificates. But a limited, private limited, LLC or other form of corporate business or government concerns get extended certification.

Let’s be secure and relax!

So without any kind of delay, go and secure your online transaction through website with SSL certification. I am sure, your business will grow manifold, and the moment you become able to win the faith of your visitors or the potential customers.

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