What is an SSL Certificate and How Does it Work?
An SSL certificate is a small data file that creates a secure, encrypted connection between a website and a visitor’s browser.
It is usually denoted by the padlock icon in front of your domain name on a browser.
In simple terms, think of an SSL certificate as a padlock for your website. It helps to ensure that only authorized parties can access your website’s data.
It does this by creating a secure, encrypted connection between your website and a visitor’s browser.
This way, any information passed between the two parties stays private and secure.
If you see a padlock icon in front of a website’s domain name, that means it has an SSL certificate installed. You can click on the padlock to see more details about the certificate.
But if a website doesn’t have a trusted SSL certificate, it might show a “not secure” warning on your browser. Some browsers, like Safari and Chrome, will even warn you not to visit that site.
How to Get an SSL certificate for Free?
There are several options for obtaining SSL certificates, both free and paid.
It’s important to note that free SSL certificates may not offer the same level of security and validation as paid options. However, they can still provide basic encryption and protection for your website.
There are several types of SSL certificates available, each with their own level of security and validation:
- The most basic type is a Domain-validated SSL certificate, which simply verifies that you own the domain you are requesting the certificate for.
- A more secure option is an Organization-validated SSL certificate, which verifies the authenticity of your organization as well as your ownership of the domain.
- The most secure option is an Extended-validation SSL certificate, which goes through a thorough vetting process to verify both the authenticity of your organization and the legitimacy of your domain.
Free Methods of Obtaining SSL:
If you’re just starting out with your blog, e-commerce store, or business website, the easiest and most lucrative way to get a free SSL certificate is by signing up with a web hosting company that offers unlimited SSL certificates for Free.
Alternatively, you can migrate your hosting to a web host that offers this benefit.
Free SSLs are still a great option for most beginners and offer sufficient security until your website grows to the point where an upgrade is necessary.
So if you’re just starting out, this is definitely worth considering as a way to protect your website and its visitors.
Here are the options you can get: ✅
- Let’s Encrypt: Let’s Encrypt is a free, open-source certificate authority that offers domain-validated SSL certificates. You can use Let’s Encrypt to obtain a free SSL certificate for your website, and the process of activating you’re Let’s Encrypt SSL is normally automated by web hosting provider who’s giving it to you for free.
- Cloudflare: Cloudflare is a content delivery network and web security company that offers a free SSL certificate as part of its basic plan. The certificate is domain-validated and provides basic encryption for your website.
Paid Options
Here are the Paid Options you can get: 
- Comodo: Comodo is a well-known provider of SSL certificates, offering a range of options for different levels of security and validation. Prices for Comodo SSL certificates start at around $10 per year.
- Symantec: Symantec is another popular provider of SSL certificates, offering a range of options for different levels of security and validation. Prices for Symantec SSL certificates start at around $50 per year.
- DigiCert: DigiCert is a leading provider of SSL certificates, offering a range of options for different levels of security and validation. Prices for DigiCert SSL certificates start at around $149 per year.
5 Benefits of SSL Certificate
There are several benefits to using an SSL certificate on your website.
First and foremost, it helps to protect sensitive information such as login credentials, credit card numbers, and personal data from being intercepted by malicious parties.
This not only helps to protect your customers’ information, but it also helps to build trust in your brand.
Here are the top 5 benefits of using a Trusted SSL on your Website: ✅
An SSL certificate creates a secure, encrypted connection between a website and a visitor’s browser, ensuring that any information passed between the two parties remains private and secure.
Basically, if someone fills out a form on your website with their personal information – like if they’re making a purchase on your online store – an SSL certificate will keep hackers from being able to access that information.
This helps to protect sensitive information such as login credentials, credit card numbers, and personal data from being intercepted by malicious parties.
When customers see that your website has an SSL certificate, they know that their information is being protected and that you take their privacy seriously.
This can help to build trust in your brand and encourage customers to do business with you.
Ultimately giving you an edge over non-secured website competitors.
Google and other search engines have stated that it gives a slight ranking boost to websites that use SSL certificates.
This means that having an SSL certificate can help to improve your search rankings and make it easier for customers to find your website.
Depending on your industry, you may be required to have an SSL certificate in order to meet compliance regulations.
For example, websites that handle sensitive medical information may be required to have an SSL certificate to meet HIPAA regulations.
SSL certificates can help to prevent phishing attacks by verifying the authenticity of your website.
If a malicious party tries to create a fake website with a similar domain name, customers will see that the website is not secure and be less likely to enter their personal information.
