Nowadays the internet has become an essential part in our daily lives. The internet is used for communication, work, trade and bank transactions as it can send and receive data conveniently and quickly. However, it is also a high risk when accessing many websites via the internet because some websites might contain security vulnerabilities. You may have heard news about hacking users’ personal data, or sometimes the website operators leak customer data.
Let’s see the technology that can prevent damage which may occur over the internet. It is called SSL.
SSL technology was first developed many years ago. Many internet users may have seen it but don’t know what it is and how it can be used.
What is SSL?
SSL or Secure Socket Layer which is updated to TLS (Transport Layer Security) currently is a data encryption technology to increase security in communication or data transmission on the internet network between the server and the web browser or applications. It is called via HTTPS protocol or other security protocols.
SSL Certificate is an electronic security certificate for transmitting data on the internet. It is a small data file that digitally bind a private key of the server to verify identity and the accuracy of data transmission between the server and the web browser or applications. It is encrypted and decrypted via SSL/TLS technology, so if the data is intercepted, it will be safe because it is encrypted with a private key, which can only be decrypted by the server that is bound to the private key.
3 reasons why you should use SSL
- To enhance data security for website’s users
SSL Certificates are not meant to prevent data theft over the internet. Hackers can steal data through various security vulnerabilities. But the key point is that such stolen data is in a scrambled mess of characters or it is unreadable format. It requires a valid and matching decryption key to decrypt the data. This is the function of the SSL Certificate.
- To enhance credibility and trust of the website
Users are more confident in using the website with SSL certificate installed, especially the website providing online services such as bank, e-commerce, hotel reservation websites where the users have to input their personal information, credit card information, password, etc.
- To guarantee damage that may occur to the user’s data
The installation of the SSL Certificate Authority’s logo (Site Seal) on the website increases the credibility that if any damage occurs to the user’s data, it will be guaranteed up to the warranty value of each SSL Certificate.
Types of SSL Certificate
- Domain Validation (DV) SSL Certificate
This SSL certificate can be obtained easily and quickly comparing to other types. It takes just about 5 minutes to verify. The SSL provider checks the ownership of the domain name (website name) whether the certificate requester is the real owner of the website or not. Other attached documents are not required. The SSL provider verifies the domain owner’s identity via an email. This type of SSL certificate can be generally applied. The certificate result is shown on the web browser in a green key mark.
- Organization Validation (OV) SSL Certificate
This SSL certificate is also called Business Validation SSL (BV). It is an organization level security certificate. To obtain one, the organization must prove it owns the domain name, and submit other supporting documents to confirm that its business actually and legally exists. This certificate takes 3-4 days to complete issuance.
It is different from the Domain Validation SSL certificate because other than the green key mark displayed on the web browser, OV SSL certificate shows organization details in the certificate information to confirm that the certificate is actually owned by that organization.
- Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificate
To obtain this SSL certificate, the website owner is required to go through a standardized identity verification process to confirm that it is legally registered as a business. It also requires supporting documents like the process of OV but the document checking of EV is more stringent because a full background check of the organization is required. This takes around 7-15 days.
After getting this EV SSL certificate, the organization name is displayed on the URL address bar in a green bar, making it easily noticed by website visitors. It is more trustworthy than other types of SSL certificates and is difficult to falsify. The EV SSL certificate is suitable for large corporate websites, financial institutions, or websites that require high credibility.
- Wildcard SSL Certificate
This SSL certificate needs a verification process like DV and OV. The processing time depends on such verification process. A wildcard SSL certificate of base domain covers all subdomains in the server where the certificate is installed. For example, a wildcard certificate could cover *.yourdomain.com, www.yourdomain.com, and mail.yourdomain.com.
How to view SSL certificate details to verify security
- Open the website you want to check with Google Chrome.
- Look for the security status on the left side of the web address. Meanings of each status are as follows.
- Secure
- Info or Not secure (Private information might not secure)
- Not secure or Dangerous
- Click on the status icon and click “Connection is secure”
- Click on “Certificate is valid”
- A security tab is shown, so you can check the detail of SSL Certificate.
As a website owner, protecting data with SSL technology can build trust among website visitors. On the other hand, the website visitors should be aware of whether the website they are visiting is secure or not so that they can do various transactions without worry.
Source:
https://netway.co.th/kb/ssl-certificate
https://contentshifu.com/blog/what-is-ssl