You may have heard of an SSL certificate, but aren’t really sure what the term means. SSL is short for Secure Sockets Layer, and is security technology for creating an encrypted (or locked) link between a web server (someone’s website) and a web browser (like on your visitors’ computers). It's the key that ensures data collected on your website remains safe and secure. Think of it as a super long password that would be impossible to guess or hack. When your site is protected by an SSL, it shows an https:// in front of your URL (like https://wte.net). It may also show a small “lock” icon in your web browser:
Most modern browsers will give a warning or even impede someone from visiting a site that is not SSL-protected. Compared to the locked icon above, unsecure sites / warnings look like this:
Any organization with a website must protect your user's personal information – it's your responsibility; it’s not an option. And we’re not just talking about credit card information. Any time you collect info about a visitor, their data is up for grabs if you’re not actively taking the step of protecting them with an SSL. Any kind of unencrypted data can be hijacked along the route from the user to the server that houses your website:
Feeling unprotected? If you need an SSL for your website, we can take care of that for you.