What Is an SSL Certificate? | DinoRiese.com

Sometimes referred to as a Secure Site License, a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate is displayed in a padlock symbol to the left of the address bar. It carries the name of the certificate's card holder name, issued location, serial number, validation dates, issuing authority signature, and a copy of the certificate holder's public key. Having an SSL Certificate on your website is now a mandatory system of verification for practices in the online realm. Having this digital certificate on your website is a gesture of respect towards your clients and their privacy, especially involving the input of sensitive information such as email addresses, passwords, and credit card numbers. A Secure Sockets Layer uses encryption processes to prevent unauthorized access to information entered on your website, fortifying not only your website, but the trust between you and your clientele.

An SSL's encryption process occurs by utilizing three main elements: a Public Key, a Private Key, and a Session Key. The Public Key encrypts transmitted information that only the Private Key may decrypt, and vice versa. With the establishment of a 2048-bit cypher virtually unbreakable by hackers, the Session Key is used to symmetrically encrypt a communication session between the client and the server, and functions uniquely to each session. Heavy processing is required when encrypting and decrypting with the public and private keys. Hence, it is saved for the final step of a browser's connection, during a procedure called a "handshake." 

The handshake is the process that establishes a secure platform for the client and the server to communicate using SSL encryption. Upon mutual verification, the encryption algorithms are set in place via the public and private keys, and the session key is used to finalize the process.

Once the handshake is complete, the launched website will appear with the padlock symbol at the left of the address bar and with the HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) prefix in its address. This indicates that the session is secure. As many search engines value website security, your online ranking is set to improve with the implementation of an SSL certificate on your website. You can furthermore boost the effectivity of your SEO with the establishment of an SSL certificate to ensure that the your clients' information is protected from hackers and other potentially jeopardizing infiltration. Google promotes content with the HTTPS prefix to a higher ranking as this is a sign of safe and trustworthy business conduct. Web hosting providers such as DinoRiese.com are able to offer this service.

Hosting providers more often than not use a "control panel" of sorts to perform the technical aspects pertaining to hosting a website, including the creation or redirection of domain names to external websites, equipping their site with an SSL certificate, updating their site's content, and more along those lines. This control panel is precisely where the file transfer protocol (FTP) is enacted in the interest of transferring your site's files to the hosting account server, a universal process for hosting accounts. For more information on web hosting, SSL certification, and more, please feel free to explore DinoRiese.com or contact us for our services.