What SSL is

To keep a site and its visitors secure, a special technology called SSL is used. The term stands for Secure Sockets Layer. This technology protects the connection between the site and the visitor so that attackers cannot steal the data being transmitted — passwords or bank card details, for instance.

An SSLcertificate is issued by the relevant authority after it has checked the information about the company, organisation or individual requesting the technology. To find out whether a certificate is installed on a site, you only have to look at the address bar, where you will see:

1. A closed green padlock. Click it with the left mouse button and the browser will show you information about the connection and about whether it is secure. A separate tab will show information about the certificate itself.
2. Next to the padlock there may be the name of the companythe certificate was issued to — if it is a top-level certificate with extended validation of the company. You can see such a certificate on our site.

If SSL is not installed on a site, the green icon will not appear. That means your connection is not secure and the data can be intercepted by a third party.

Note: since 1999 SSL has been standardised as TLS. The IETF states that there is practically no difference between the two protocols, so you can call it SSL, TLS or SSL/TLS.

How does HTTP differ from HTTPS?

To make it clearer what SSL is and how it works, let us look at the HTTP and HTTPS internet protocols. Five to ten years ago 90% of sites used HTTP, which is unsecured. Today, thanks to the development of the technology and the requirements of search engines, practically every private and commercial site has moved to HTTPS, which protects the user's data from attackers. This protocol provides:

1. Encryption of the datatransmitted from the browser to the server or from the server to the user's browser. If the information is intercepted, it cannot be decrypted and read, nor is it possible to track what the client does, where they go and which data they send or receive.
2. Protection of the data transmitted. If the data is altered during transmission, the system detects it immediately and takes security measures.

3. Protection against path substitution. Thanks to HTTPS you are guaranteed to reach the site you need rather than a relay or an intermediary. The user sees that your site is safe and treats it with trust.

Note: since 2018 the main browsers have considered sites without the SSL protocol unsafe. Either you will not reach such a site until you click the relevant button, or the browser will show a warning that the site belongs to a risk group.

Why it matters

Using an SSL certificate matters for two reasons:

1. It provides the necessary level of security. Your visitors and users will be protected, their data will not be stolen by third parties and their bank card will not be compromised. That raises visitors' trust in the site, and their browser does not show a notice about an insecure connection.
2. The search engine Google takes an extremely dim view of sitesthat work on unsecured protocols. In this search engine they fall into a risk group and are lowered in the results. HTTPS affects ranking almost as much as the number of links to a site, the number of indexed pages and the presence of anchors. So if you want to reach the top of Google, SSL is a must for any commercial project. As of 2019, almost 90% of the sites at the top of Google's results use HTTPS.
   
   

The kinds of certificate

There are four types of SSL

1. Domain Validation , or confirmation of the domain data. It is considered the simplest and cheapest; you can get it in literally a few minutes by confirming that the domain belongs to you. DV certificates are usually used by private individuals: they suit personal blogs, small sites, forums and the like.
2. Organization Validation , or confirmation of the organisation. To obtain such a certificate you have to give the registrar not only your contact details but information about the company — its name, its details and so on. This is the certificate usually issued to online shops and other commercial resources.
3. Extended Validation , or extended validation. Usually used by large sites working with money: banks, credit organisations, exchanges and other companies that value their reputation and handle customers' money.
4. SSL for several domains. You can get one certificate for several sites or domains of the same kind, which saves money.

You can buy or obtain an SSL certificate on our site. Qualified managers will answer your questions and help you choose the type of certificate you need.