A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate is a digital certificate that encrypts communication between a website and its visitor. This means that any data that is exchanged - such as passwords, payment information and personal data - cannot simply be intercepted or read by malicious parties.

Suppose you have a website with a contact form or have a web shop why visitors can place orders then it is highly recommended to have SSL certificate.

Without an SSL certificate, the data a visitor enters in a contact form is sent unencrypted over an insecure HTTP connection. This means that sensitive information, such as names, e-mail addresses and messages, is sent over the Internet in plain text. Hackers can easily intercept this data through man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, where they eavesdrop on network traffic and can steal or manipulate sensitive data. This jeopardizes both the privacy of website visitors and the reputation of the website owner.

With an SSL certificate (HTTPS), this information is encrypted and secured, preventing third parties from reading or altering the data.

What are the benefits of an SSL certificate?

Securing a website with an SSL certificate not only allows a secure exchange of data between browser and website, but the certificate also offers other benefits:

• Trust and credibility: Visitors see a padlock icon in their browser and "https://" in the address bar, indicating that the website is secure.
  Websites without SSL receive a "Not Secure" warning in modern browsers such as Chrome, which can put visitors off.

Some SSL certificates, such as Organization Validation (OV) and Extended Validation (EV) certificates, contain additional information about the website owner, such as the company name and location. Visitors can verify this information by clicking on the padlock icon in the address bar. This helps them verify that the Web site is legitimate and not a fake or copy of another site. With an EV certificate, the company name is even displayed directly in the address bar, providing additional confidence.

• Necessary for modern web functionalities: Some functions, such as payment processing through services like Mollie, require an SSL certificate.
  Browsers and APIs work better with secure connections and can block unsecured requests.
• Better search engine ranking (SEO): Google confirmed in 2014 that HTTPS is a ranking factor, but the effect is relatively small compared to other SEO factors such as content quality, backlinks and user experience. So HTTPS may have a positive impact, but it will not by itself cause a big jump in search results.
  Nevertheless, an SSL certificate is still important for SEO because:
  • Prevents the "Not Secure" warning in browsers, which lowers the bounce rate (people leave the website).
  • Can indirectly provide better user experience and trust, which does matter for SEO.
• Comply with regulations AVG/GDPR: Privacy laws require organizations to adequately secure personal data, and encryption (such as via SSL/TLS) is seen as an appropriate measure.
  Apart from this measure, the GDPR / AVG legislation also requires other security measures such as access control and efforts such as cookie information to be in order.

Types of SSL certificates

There are 3 different types of SSL certificates, each with its own level of identity verification and validation.

For the simplest validation, Domain Validation (DV), checks that the applicant's credentials match the credentials registered for the domain. This ensures that a certificate for www.example.com, for example, is issued only to the legitimate owner of the domain.

Organization Validation (OV) goes a step further by verifying the applicant's company information in addition to the domain check. This allows visitors to be sure that the owner's business information is correct. After the verification, the business information is included in the SSL certificate itself, so visitors can access it for additional assurance.

The highest level of assurance is provided by an Extended Validation (EV) certificate. This type of certificate requires the applicant to provide extensive business documentation and is thoroughly checked by the certificate issuer. This often includes a comparison with records in, for example, the state or Chamber of Commerce, or official business directories. Obtaining an EV certificate is more expensive and complex.

How is the identity check done on an SSL certificate application?

Applications for SSL certificates are checked by Certificate Authorities, which, depending on the type of certificate, perform a more or less thorough check on the certificate applicant. This whole process is often called the certificate "vetting" process.

Certificate Authorities act as a trusted third party, whose identity is already ingrained in browsers, and therefore trusted. A corporate certificate they approve is also trusted by the browser through a waterfall system, since the certificate contains the Certificate Authority's digital signature.

How to buy an SSL certificate?

At Kinamo, customers can easily purchase SSL certificates through our easy-to-use wizard. The process is quick and straightforward: you choose the type of certificate that best suits your needs. Then you choose whether the SSL certificate will be used for a single domain name, multiple domain names or subdomains (such as *.yourdomain.be).

After this choice you will receive a recommendation for the most suitable certificate for your project and you can purchase it at very competitive prices. After the purchase, you will receive all the necessary information to activate the certificate so that your website will be secured quickly and safely.

Do you have any questions about SSL certificates? Certainly do not hesitate to contact us.