Security Certificates
if you don’t got one, you need it!
You have probably noticed lately that some sites say not-secure in the address bar. To rectify this, a website will need a SSL Certificate (Secure Sockets Layer)
See the screenshot below with the padlock in the address bar. That shows that your site is secure. If you don’t have one of these you need to get one.
Why Do You Need One?
Encryption is important and since there is just so much of our information online, you need to protect your website.
A SSL Certificate handles a couple things:
- Encrypts payment transactions on the websites for E-Commerce.
- Secures the transmittal of forms on your website.
- It is used as a metric for search placement.
How You Get One
Your hosting company has options to buy and install one for you. These usually run about $80 / year for a simple one. They can get more complicated, but the inexpensive option is still valid.
Some host companies include it with your hosting package. Find out by contacting your hosting company how you can get this setup (and find out if you got some store credit or can get a free one!)
It’s worth the effort for security and keeping your site up-to-date and standard.