SSL Certificates

An SSL Certificate is a digitally signed certificate that establishes the identity of a website and uses encryption to send data to the website. The certificate is issued by a trusted authority known as a Certificate Authority (CA) and typically contains information like the Owner's name, Name of issuer, the certificate holder's public key and an expiration date.

SSL Certificates are generally used when a website wants to accept sensitive information like passwords, credit card details and other sensitive information.

An SSL certificate will authenticate your website's identity, assuring your customers you are who you say you are. It will also encrypt the information visitors enter on your site, keeping it safe during transmission and storage. If you have a Comodo SSL certificate from DomainNames on your site, your customers know they can fully trust you to take care of their data.

You can view a website's SSL certificate by clicking on the lock icon in the address bar of a browser.

This is a common question, and a good one to ask. Put simply, you need to consider setting up an SSL if you are handling sensitive data that could be attractive to hackers and thieves. The following reasons are often cited for setting up an SSL:

1. You have started an ecommerce website which is beginning to generate revenue
2. Having an SSL certificate gains trust from your customer's
3. Helps secure private and confidential data
4. Allows you to gain competitive advantage
5. Can help protect against hacking, fraud and phishing websites
6. In some instances, helps you comply with jurisdiction
7. Tells your customer you have a duty of care

SSL (Secure socket layer) certificates are used to secure and protect data on the internet. They work by encrypting the data so that it cannot be accessed by unauthorised parties. An SSL can be used for a variety of applications and can almost secure anything web related. The use of an SSL varies; however, the common uses are outlined below:

If you visit a webpage protected by SSL technology, you will notice that the URL of the page displays a little differently, for example, the bar could turn green. Browsers will also display a small padlock icon in the upper corner of the screen to show this. This is especially important with online shopping setups – customers like to know that the payment information they are submitting is going to you and nobody else!

Ideally, any website that accepts or transmits sensitive information should be protected by SSL. These include:

• Ecommerce operations and retailers
• Service providers
• Banks and financial institutions
• Educational institutions
• Government agencies
• Companies with intranets
• Any website with a 'members-only' area

Having an SSL certificate is critical for your online reputation. It lets your website visitors know they can trust you – that you value their privacy and are making the extra effort to ensure all their data is encrypted during transmission from their computer to yours. A Comodo SSL certificate from DomainNames.com.au will protect all customer information you collect, including names, addresses, passwords, and credit card numbers.

An SSL certificate is the standard for web security. You will be required to have one if you plan to accept credit cards on your website. In other words: if you are running an online business, you will be required to have an SSL certificate.

The encryption provided by SSL Certificates helps to prevent hackers from stealing private and confidential information sent via the Internet. A website secured with an SSL Certificate provides a safe place for customers to enter sensitive data such as credit card information, bank account numbers, etc. If you transact business or collect sensitive information on your website, you need an SSL Certificate!

An SSL certificate ensures safe, easy, and convenient Internet shopping. Once an Internet user enters a secure area — by entering credit card information, email address, or other personal data, for example - the shopping site's SSL certificate enables the browser and Web server to build a secure, encrypted connection.

The SSL 'handshake' process, which establishes the secure session, takes place discreetly behind the scene without interrupting the consumer's shopping experience. A 'padlock' icon in the browser's status bar and the 'https://' prefix in the URL are the only visible indications of a secure session in progress.

By contrast, if a user attempts to submit personal information to an unsecured website (i.e., a site that is not protected with a valid SSL certificate), the browser's built-in security mechanism triggers a warning to the user, reminding him/her that the site is not secure and that sensitive data might be intercepted by third parties. Faced with such a warning, most Internet users will likely look elsewhere to make a purchase.

Once an SSL certificate has been purchased, installed and is active on your website, visitors will be able to see several trusted signs that your site is secure. When visitors enter an SSL-protected page on your website, they will see a locked padlock and the 'https' in their browser address bar.

You will also have the recommended option to add a security seal onto your web pages. This seal will clearly communicate that your website has been verified and is secure. A visitor may click on this SSL seal to view the details and status of your website's SSL certificate.

Positive SSL comes with a $10,000 USD warranty, whilst the Comodo SSL has a $250,000 USD warranty and last, but not least is the Enterprise SSL that has a wopping $1,750,000 USD warranty.

This warranty is designed to protect your customer in the unlikely event that an SSL is misused. If a customer relies on a misused SSL certificate's information, and suffers financial loss because of it, this warranty will come into play. In effect, this is added insurance for you – it will cover claims made by the customer against the certificate issuer.

Positive and Comodo certificates are issued within 2 business days, whilst the Enterprise certificate is issued within 7 business days, as Comodo validate not just the domain ownership but also the existence of your organization or business.