When you go to the site, there is an image of a lock in the address bar. It can be green, gray, or yellow. It happens that the name of the company is indicated next to it. This lock indicates the security of the site. The information on it is protected by a special protocol. To do this, you need to follow certain rules. It is safe to post data on the site – scammers will not be able to intercept or change information.
How many of you did not read detective stories in childhood? Remember how the main characters, when looking for spies, came up with cipher words that only they could understand. This is how SSL certificates work when they encrypt information on your website.
Everything needs to be encoded – names, bank accounts, phone numbers, etc. But in order to be able to keep this data protected, you first need to obtain this certificate.
It is theoretically possible to crack the SSL code, but in practice it will take at least 2-3 hours to decrypt one character. The method is too long and in fact no one is doing it. So the SSL protocol is not hacked.
Why do I need an SSL certificate?
This protocol protects all information on your site. It is useful if users leave their card numbers, enter passwords to access their account, etc. Online stores, banks, state-owned enterprises, etc., are especially in need of SSL certificates. When the user sees that your site is protected, he can be sure of the confidentiality of the information entered. Customer loyalty is higher for the company that has data protection on its website.
How encryption works
When a user makes a payment for a product or service on your site, his bank card number is converted into some characters. They can only be solved using a special key that is located on the server. A fraudster, even if he intercepts the characters, will still not be able to decipher them.
The key for decrypting certificates is of two types:
· Private – located on the server and reads the code there;
· Public – this is the SSL protocol itself. Data is encrypted when the user leaves their data on the site. Then they are already encrypted and transferred to the server.
How did the idea of encryption come about?
Julius Caesar came up with the idea of encrypting the information he transmitted. So he came up with the idea that each letter in the word will be changed to another letter – the third in the alphabet after the one that is needed. Using this method, he could transmit secret information to his people and none of the outsiders could guess anything.
How the site interacts with the user
When you want to go to a site in your browser, this program does not immediately open access. First, she recognizes the information on it and determines the security. The browsers themselves have special programs that recognize the presence of viruses on the site. If the check is successful, the site is at your disposal – you can go to it. Antivirus programs work after the resource has passed a successful check in the browser for viruses.
It is at this moment that the SSL certificate is triggered, which tells the browser about the reliability of the site. But it happens that the program does not miss the site because of the expired certificate.
Who needs what certificate?
Getting a certificate is a paid pleasure. Depending on the technical characteristics, the price will also differ. When choosing the type of certificate, be guided by the volume of your site and industry.
If you have a commercial enterprise, then you need a certificate with a green line, and if you run your blog, then choose a simpler protection option.
Let’s take a look at the categories of protocols:
1. For individuals
If you have a personal website or forum, you blog. On your site, users register by leaving their username and password. Then the protocol for individuals checks the domain name.
To obtain such a certificate, no special documents are required. Its registration will take only 15 minutes.
2. For business (small and medium)
If you sell goods on the site or in an online store, travel packages, organized a social network, then you need to purchase an SSL certificate. Before it is issued, they will check your personal data, ownership of the rights to the domain name.
In this case, before you receive the certificate, your company and the right to own the domain name will be checked. You will have to wait from 1 to 3 days.
3. Large and commercial enterprises
Companies in which people spend large sums (this applies to real estate agencies, car dealers, bank sites, large online stores) need more serious protection.
If users store large amounts of money on your site, upload their documents and bank account data, then the verification will take place in several stages: registration of the company, history of its owner, and ownership rights. Verification takes up to 14 days.
In conclusion
If your site has an SSL certificate, the trust of users increases significantly. Therefore, it is worth passing this check for commerce owners, because it will affect the conversion of your site. Nevertheless, for any lock there is always a key that will open it. So the site cannot be 100% protected from hacking.
