Operating a domain without SSL encryption in 2016 is a bit like walking into a bad neighborhood after dark with a handful of $100 bills. At a certain point, you’re just waiting to be robbed and it is no longer a question of “if,” but “when.” Short for “secure socket layer,” SSL certification is one of the best ways to protect you and your business from the type of data breach that IBM estimates costs businesses an average of $4 million per incident.
1. SSL Certification Helps You Maintain Regulatory Compliance
Almost every industry has its own rules governing how electronic data can be stored, accessed, shared and transmitted. One of the major things that they all have in common is that they rely on SSL certification. If your business is subject to rules and regulations like HIPAA, PCI DSS, GLBA and more, operating without SSL certification isn’t just putting you in danger – it could very likely be putting you in violation, too.
2. The Advantages of Encryption
The primary benefit of SSL certification for your domain is one of encryption. When SSL certification is properly configured, it establishes a secure connection between your server and your end users. This means that any sensitive information passed between these two points like credit card information, usernames, passwords and other data CANNOT be seen by someone even if they’re aware that the connection is taking place.
3. Validation of Domain Ownership
Even going beyond encryption, another major advantage that SSL certification brings to the table is that of validation of your company. Anyone can create an SSL certificate for your domain. If someone were to set up a fake server with your domain in an attempt to trick your users into logging on as they normally would, they could essentially capture the usernames and passwords, giving them all the ammunition they need to infiltrate your actual Web server. With SSL certification, however, the user’s Web browser would warn the user that the fake Web server is using an un-validated and unsigned SSL certificate.
In essence, before issuing the SSL certificate, the certificate signing authority confirms the ownership of your domain. This validation can be performed at various levels -- Domain Validated certificates (DV), Organization Validated certificates (OV) and Extended Validation certificates (EV). The costs and the choice of which type of SSL certificates vary and depend on what you are going to use the certificate for and what level of assurance you want to provide your end users.
4. SSL Certification Helps You Build Trust
Finally, SSL certification is a great way to build trust between you and your end users. If clients are using your Web server, for example, they will see a "lock" icon, a green bar or some other type of visual cue in their browser letting them know that their connection is secured. This will help provide them with the peace-of-mind that comes with knowing their information is being protected, which will help establish a solid foundation of trust in your relationship as a result.
By far, SSL certification is one of the single best ways to help you, your private information and ultimately your business stay protected in the digital age. Unfortunately, there are also a number of different ways that your server could be unprotected or open to attack RIGHT NOW. Download a free copy of the new report “20 Statistics You Should Know About Internal File Sharing Threats” right away to find out more about the steps you need to take to keep you and everything you’ve worked to build safe from harm.
%20Logos%202022/sharetru-white-logo.svg){kind=logo}
