The average cost of data breaches will exceed $150 million this year alone and half a billion dollars have been stolen in personal information! The World Wide Web is a great invention and has changed the lives of so many people dramatically including ourselves! Without the World Wide Web, there would be no coding, websites or creative agencies!  

When it comes to website development, companies like ours are working hard to spread critical information about SSL certificates and why your website needs to have one.

Search engine giant, Google, announced in early 2018 it would begin penalizing websites without SSL certificates. This shows in the browser of Chrome next to the URL. If a site is really insecure, Google will tell you to go back! (Kind of like a scary movie before the group of teens gets to the log cabin). 

Denver Media Group makes sure that all websites that our company is designing and developing launch with an SSL certificate and each year our team updates all of them. Old and new websites! 

So, what is an SSL certificate? Is it really necessary? 

What is an SSL certificate?

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. An SSL certificate ensures a secure, safe and encrypted connection between your website and the end-user’s browser connection.

At one point in time, the SSL security measure was most commonly used on websites collecting personal information like credit card transactions and legal documents. This security protects customers from becoming the dreaded online scamming victim. However, SSL certificates were not required by all websites across the board.

Fast forward to now, all websites should have this extra layer of security in place. Even small, informational websites to the healthcare industry!  In hindsight, it’s interesting that such a security measure was not required until as of late. Website design and development companies like Denver Media Group have been taking the appropriate steps for years to ensure that all local web clients have the SSL certificate needed to stay kosher in the eyes of Google.

While it can be difficult to understand the technicalities of SSL certificates, we can assure you that yes, you do 100 percent need an SSL certificate on your website. Now that we know what is an SSL certificate- how do you get one? 

How do I get an SSL certificate?

This is where things get in the nitty-gritty of the World Wide Web! An SSL certificate is created after a Certificate Sign Request (CSR) is created, along with, the WHOIS record is in place and submitted to the website gods! 

Before a company has an SSL certificate in place, there are a multitude of things that have to happen before, such as the information above and an IP address for each individual SSL certificate. You will also need your IP address and domain name in place, and for some companies, a certification has to be in place for the website to launch! 

When it comes to obtaining SSL certificates for website development, our developers make it standard procedure to install them automatically. Building secure, trustworthy and clean websites are something we take great pride in.

In the event your website was not developed with an SSL certificate to back it, do not panic. Our experts have it under control. 

First, will need one of the following three types of SSL certificates:

1. Domain Validated (DV) - These SSL certificates are very basic in that they only verify who owns your website. DVs are good for small websites not needing to prove their company identity and lack non-transactional data.

2. Organization Validated (OV) - Slightly heftier than the Domain Validated SSL, the Organization Validated certificate does everything it’s predecessor does in addition to business authentication. These certificates are the minimum requirement for any e-commerce website.

3. Extended Validation (EV) - The strongest (and most expensive) certificate available, they secure against breaches on sites performing transactions and obtaining personal data.

Unsure of which is best for you? Ask! Our Denver website developers are able to direct your company in the right direction and provide any answers to your questions. 

What happens if I don’t have an SSL certificate?

Well, we hate to break it to you, but Google is going to flag your website each time a consumer clicks on the website. Google, first and foremost, is relying on the trustworthiness of your website to keep it’s users safe.

If your website does not have an SSL certificate installed, a secure connection cannot be established, thus, diminishing the safety and legitimacy of your business. To keep in the good graces of Google, get that certificate!

Cybersecurity damages will cost the world over $6 trillion annually by 2021 according to Cybersecurity Ventures.

This not only creates a bad first website impression, but will decrease website traffic over time. One of the simplest steps you can make towards protecting your company’s website is through an SSL certificate.

Need help with an SSL certificate? Not sure where to even start? Contact us today!