In this article we will discuss what SSL is. If you are finding out what SSL is, don’t forget to always read it to the end.
Currently, many websites are already using SSL. Not without reason, but this SSL has many hidden benefits from various aspects, such as security, SEO, and others.
What is SSL and why is it important for websites? How does SSL work? What is the difference between SSL and TLS? All these questions will be answered in this article!
What is SSL and TLS?
SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer, one of the important components that a website must have. With SSL, data transfer on the website becomes more secure and encrypted. Even so important, Google Chrome labels websites without an SSL certificate as Not Secure.
If this security system is added to your website, the website URL will change to HTTPS. The main purpose of installing SSL is as a security for data exchange that occurs over the internet network.
At the beginning, we mentioned, what is the difference between SSL and TLS? Actually, now SSL is not used at all and has been replaced by TLS.
However, because most people are too familiar with the term SSL, companies still use the term. Whereas basically now the encryption feature provided is TLS.
Both of them secure data transfer on the website. However, TLS technology is better because it is newer and is an upgrade from SSL. So you don’t have to worry about the difference in the terms.
Why Need to Use SSL/TLS?
Broadly speaking, SSL is needed to secure your website from security threats. However, there are also specific reasons why you should use SSL/TLS. The following are the reasons in question:
1. Avoid Data Theft
SSL/TLS protects you from the threat of data theft. You do this by encrypting or randomizing sensitive data. That way, just anyone will not be able to read the data you have and send it.
2. Avoid Sending Wrong Data
SSL/TLS also functions for authentication ( authentication ). That is, SSL/TLS ensures that you send information or data to the appropriate destination server. Instead of sending information to hackers or irresponsible parties.
3. Increase Website Reputation
When the website has SSL/TLS installed, the browser will show certain notifications. In Internet Explorer, the notification will usually be in the form of a green block in the address bar . Whereas in Firefox and Google Chrome, notifications will be shown in the form of a locked padlock icon.
This notification is useful to increase your reputation and trust in the eyes of visitors. With notifications, website visitors will not hesitate to access the website. In the case of online store websites, potential buyers will also not hesitate to shop on your website.
4. Increase Website Ranking in Search Engines
Google’s algorithm also prefers websites that have SSL/TLS certificates. Not just really like it. Google even “forbids” its users to visit websites that do not have an SSL/TLS certificate.
So don’t be surprised if SSL/TLS is also related to website ranking in search engines. A research proves that most websites with SSL/TLS certificates have a higher position in search engines.
How SSL/TLS Works
Now that you understand what an SSL certificate is and why you should use it, it’s time to find out how it works. This SSL certificate will later help you to secure the communication of two computers connected by the internet network.
Data exchange such as visiting websites, sending and receiving emails, buying goods online, as well as important company data will be encrypted so that no irresponsible person tries to use the data illegally.
SSL certificate has two combinations, namely public key and private key. The public key is used to encrypt the data to be sent, while the private key is used to decrypt the data into a format that can be reused by the recipient of the data.
Benefits of SSL/TLS
There are many benefits that you can get if you install an SSL certificate on your website. Here are some of the benefits of SSL:
1. Increase Website Reputation
If your website URL still uses the HTTP protocol, Google will automatically display a Not Secure warning every time a visitor visits your website. The warning will also appear when a visitor fills in sensitive data or information such as login and password data, forms, as well as personal data and account numbers. Indirectly, Google forces website owners to secure and encrypt data on the internet.
2. Securing Data Transfer on the Website
Another advantage of using an SSL certificate is that with the encryption that SSL has, the data will be more secure. The data exchange that occurs between your computer and the computer of visitors trying to visit your website will be protected by a public key and a private key. What’s more, the padlock and HTTPS labels will help ordinary visitors to be calmer when accessing your website.
3. Improve SEO Quality
Installing an SSL certificate on the website has a positive effect on the quality of your SEO. Since 2014, Google has implemented an algorithm that prioritizes websites with SSL over websites without SSL.
Although SSL is only one of the many SEO factors that Google applies, it is certainly better if you activate SSL. Moreover, now also available free SSL.
Change from HTTP to HTTPS
Then what is the relationship with HTTP and HTTPS when using an SSL security system?
Websites that have used an SSL certificate will change their URL from the HTTP protocol to HTTPS. The difference between HTTP and HTTPS is quite influential for visitors in today’s digital era. Ordinary users usually recognize SSL certificates with HTTPS marks found when accessing certain websites.
HTTP ( HyperText Transfer Protocol ) and HTTPS ( HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure ) are protocols specifically designed to transfer information from one computer to another via the internet. The most striking difference between HTTP and HTTPS is the addition of the letter S ( Secure ).
However, HTTP is a securely unencrypted version. The absence of authentication means that you don’t really know who you are interacting with while on the internet. It could be, when you are transacting with someone, hackers are ready to save your important data.
The addition of this one letter is very important because it means the website has been installed with an SSL certificate. The installation of this SSL certificate indicates that the interconnected computers have agreed to a code that blocks any attempt to read and retrieve their data.
As a website owner, of course this is very helpful when you transact with your clients. This is a very serious concern if you have an e-commerce type website, because you and your clients will often exchange important information such as personal data, account numbers, and so on.
SSL/TLS Types
The types of SSL below are distinguished according to the SSL security needs of each website.
1. Domain Validated SSL (DV SSL)
This SSL is highly recommended for SMBs (growing businesses) who need a solution at an affordable price. This DV level SSL certificate only requires domain ownership, i.e. DNS or email validation.
DV SSL will only display information that your website is a secure and encrypted website. So, it is not recommended for e-commerce to use this level of SSL. DV SSL is suitable for use on a testing website or your internal business website. If you use this certificate, the marker that the domain is secure is HTTPS and a green padlock.
2. Organization Validated SSL (OV SSL)
SSL is actually the same as DV SSL. However, the domain owner must verify by showing proof of ownership and domain legitimacy. This means that the certificate issuer or CA (Certificate Authority) such as GeoTrust, Comodo, and others will ensure that the domain has been registered with business name, location, and other legal information.
OV SSL is usually used on company websites to make it appear more secure and reliable for visitors. If you use this certificate, the marker that the domain is secure is HTTPS and a green padlock.
3. Extended Validated SSL (EV SSL)
EV SSL has a high level of security and is highly recommended for your online business, especially e-commerce websites. The feature of this EV SSL is that your business name is written in green in the URL bar near the domain name.
EV SSL requires the domain owner to verify domain ownership with several legal documents. This is because usually SSL is used for those who have trusted business entities such as PT, CV, and the State Department.
How to Choose SSL/TLS
In the previous discussion, the types of SSL have been explained. Please note that there are paid SSL and free SSL. For those of you who want to use cheap SSL for the first time and want to experiment without spending a fortune, you can try free SSL from Cloudflare. However, if you choose the free version, you will not get premium features from Cloudflare. After your blog or website starts to develop, you can choose Paid SSL, the DV SSL type.
If you have a website for your business or an organization, then Organization Validated SSL (OV SSL) is the right choice to ensure ownership of a domain registered with the company or organization name, clear location and other important information.
The last one is Extended Validated SSL (EV SSL). For those of you who run an online business or e-commerce, this type of SSL is the best choice because it has the highest level of security.
How to Install SSL/TLS
For those of you who are new to SSL and want to do the installation yourself, don’t worry because we have prepared a guide. However, before that make sure first whether you will use SSL/TLS free or paid.
You need to consider this based on your needs and budget. Some free SSLs already provide important features that websites need. Even so, still to get full features, you need to use paid SSL.
Again, whether you will use free or paid SSL, the decision is yours.
After installing SSL via cPanel, you need to point your website to a new address, i.e. from the previous HTTP to HTTPS. This applies to both free SSL and paid SSL. Don’t worry, you can do this using a plugin.
You can take advantage of the Really Simple SSL plugin .
After installing the plugin and activating it, go to Settings > SSL .
At the top of the page you will see a message if the redirect to HTTPS is not yet active. To fix this, click the Go ahead button , activate SSL!
Refresh your browser. If successful, you will see a success message which means SSL on your WordPress blog is active.