In a world where cybercrime is at the forefront of many conversations, it’s no wonder that greater measures are being taken to keep your information safe and secure. Fortunately, it is easier than ever to recognize whether the information you’re giving a website is at risk of being intercepted by an uninvited third party (read: hackers).

Today, hackers are able to place a small listening program on a website’s server that will capture the information entered into a web form (like your coveted credit card information or your social security number). Luckily, there is increasingly popular technology called SSL that can help stop these cybercriminals in their tracks.

How Does an SSL Certificate Work?

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and is a method of securing the transmission of sensitive information over the Internet. When a website employs an SSL certificate, the user’s browser will create an encrypted connection with the website’s server that ensures no one besides you and that website can access your private information.

SSL and HTTPS

So, how can you recognize if the website you’re visiting is equipped with SSL? Thanks to a new version of Chrome, it is easier than ever. When you visit a site in the browser, you will see a message in your address bar that either has a “not secure” warning, or a small padlock icon indicating the site has an SSL certificate installed. A simple way to recognize SSL on any browser is to check if the URL starts with “http://” or “https://”. You guessed it – the one with the “s” stands for “secure”.

Should Your Site Have An SSL Certificate?

Chrome has approximately 47% of the browser market share, and with this new feature, each Chrome user will immediately recognize if your website is “unsafe.” This label could negatively affect your website’s seeming trustworthiness. Additionally, SSL is now a part of Google’s algorithm, meaning SSL security information will be taken into account when ranking your website in search results.

While this layer of protection is extremely important for websites that accept payments or use passwords, it should also be considered when collecting data even as basic as a name, address, email or phone number. Simplified, you want to protect any information your website users would not want to be leaked. Your prospective customers will thank you.

To obtain an SSL certificate for your website, contact Blue Archer Support.