When you buy your Christmas gifts online why do some sites show a padlock in the address bar and others don’t?<\/p>\n
A padlock icon confirms that the website has an SSL certificate installed. It offers customers a secure shopping experience. And the peace of mind that their data is safe.<\/p>\n
But what exactly is an SSL certificate and what does it do?<\/p>\n
This article explains how Internet security works and what you need to look for before submitting your personal details.<\/p>\n
Read on to learn all about SSL including how much it costs, how it’s implemented, and why it’s essential.<\/p>\n
Did you know that 32.6% of\u00a0websites<\/a> don’t offer a secure experience?<\/p>\n That means when you submit your credit card details on a non-secure site anyone can intercept and steal them. Hackers love sites like these as they’re easy pickings for identity theft and fraud.<\/p>\n Yet all it takes is for the site owner to add an SSL certificate to make their site secure.<\/p>\n SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer<\/em>. It’s a way to safely encrypt information as it passes from one computer to another via the Internet.<\/p>\n SSL’s origins go back 25 years when Netscape developed a way to authenticate users.\u00a0The protocol also checked if data was legitimate and ensured continual privacy.<\/p>\n The\u00a0certificate<\/em> part relates to data files that act as a digital key.<\/p>\n These files belong to a particular website or organization and mark them as their owner. Browsers can check that the SSL certificate belongs to the site by clicking on the padlock icon.<\/p>\nSSL Certificate Origins<\/h2>\n