Website Security - Why SSL Certificates Can Protect Your Ecommerce Site

SSL certificates (for secure socket link techniques) protect websites from fraud by securing that a web server sending a certificate to a browser is the right web server, and it makes it impossible to intercept important data or messages. All ingoing and outgoing data is encrypted; no unauthorized party should be able to read it. For monetary transactions on a website it is very important, that nobody can take advantage of what has been sent on the public Internet.

One has to pay attention, that website security is enabled, because users cannot see how data is encrypted or decrypted. Nor can they know, if they should trust a site, where they are about to give sensitive information. But users see signs of security. When one handles purchases with credit cards or when other sensitive information needs to be sent, there should be couple SSL security signs to notify users. Browser's address bar (where site url is written) changes from http: to https (http is how web pages are displayed without security, https= hyper text transfer protocol secured by SSL depicts SSL security) and it may change to green, so a user really notices the change. Green url line is used by some security certificates. Another sign of SSL security is a padlock sign, which is always used with https web page. Bank transactions are always secured. For added security banks require log-in to its secure servers. E-commerce usually don't use log-ins, while a customer is browsing products. But when shopping is finished and customer goes to pay, there should be above mentioned security signs visible.

Providing website security is a complex issue with varied types of encryption and authentication schemas by a third party, Certification Authority, which sells certificates. They are used to verify that a web host is really the right one and not any site pretending to be the host, which would be difficult for website users to check. SSL certificates make verifications automatic in browsers. When a user enters secured section of a website, it sends a SSL certificate to user's browser, which compares it inside the browser with its data including expiration date with an existing certificate from same certificate issuing company (certification authority). This process is not visible to user, if certificate is not expired and is acceptable to the browser. However some certificates are not from well known third parties, but created by a company, who also sends data. They may bring notifications to users, if not well known to browser makers and if never visited by a user.

Providing website security is a complex issue with varied types of encryption and authentication schemas by a third party, Certification Authority, which sells certificates. They are used to verify that a web host is really the right one and not any site pretending to be the host, which would be difficult for website users to check. SSL certificates make verifications automatic in browsers. When a user enters secured section of a website, it sends a SSL certificate to user's browser, which compares it inside the browser with its data including expiration date with an existing certificate from same certificate issuing company (certification authority). This process is not visible to user, if certificate is not expired and is acceptable to the browser. However some certificates are not from well known third parties, but created by a company, who also sends data. They may bring notifications to users, if not well known to browser makers and if never visited by a user.