Why do you need an SSL Certificate?
You only need one if your website engages in ecommerce transactions.
A SSL Certificate accomplishes two things:
- Secures the transaction between the consumer and your site. Credit card and personal info are protected.
- Identifies the servers as the company they say they are. Reduces Fraud.
The Tech Encyclopedia defines SSL Certificates as:
“… an electronic file that uniquely identifies individuals and servers. Digital certificates allow the client (Web browser) to authenticate the server prior to establishing an SSL session. Typically, digital certificates are signed by an independent and trusted third party to ensure their validity. The “signer” of a digital certificate is known as a Certification Authority (CA).”
As a user engaging in ecommerce activity you can protect yourself by always checking to make sure your transaction is secure. Once you enter the secure section of a website a little yellow/gold padlock appears in the bottom row of your web browser. Clicking on the padlock opens up a popup display. What opens is that websites credentials. If you visit www.pigrus.com, the verification that pops up should read that you truly are on the www.pigsrus.com website.
If you enter into the transaction phase of buying a product and there is no gold padlock, your transaction is not secure and your credit card and personal information are vulnerable. It is wise to leave that transaction. If you enter into the transaction phase of buying a product on www.pigsrus.com and the gold padlock indicates you are on the www.piratesrus.com site then some form of hijacking and/or fraud has taken place. Do no proceed with the transaction.
If you sell ANYTHING on the web via your website, you NEED a SSL Certificate.
If you have purchased anything on the Internet you may have seen ecommerce sites stating that they are certified by Verisign or Thawte. Though competition is growing, these two are the largest providers of SSL Certificates. However they are also very expensive. Thawte’s SSL certificates start at $149. Verisign’s start at $349 and thats not even for full 128 encryption.
RWT recommends you take a look at Comodo Group’s SSL Certificate Products. They have a growing presence in the SSL Certificate market. For the ecommerce beginner their certificates are also reasonably priced. Here is a summary of what they offer:
- Free SSL Certificate – provides a 30 day trial of their basic SSL Certificate
- Instant SSL Certificate – designed for web sites conducting sub $50 transactions, the certificate is $49/year and has a $50 warranty. Ideal for the beginner.
- InstantSSL PRO Certificate – $69/year, $2500 Warranty, plus a free TrustLogo worth $119. TrustLogo provides real-time identity assurance through convenient “point to verify” technology.
A beginner can start with the Free SSL certificate, learn how its installed, how much it protects their transaction, etc. without having to dish out the cash. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a permanently free SSL certificate. If it was truly free, I would wonder how much protection it offered. By purchasing a certificate, you are BUYING protection and a committment to service.
A large portion of executing ecommerce transactions is trust. Take the necessary steps to investigate and learn about SSL certificates and how they will build trust with customers visiting your site.
