A safer web is enabled by SSL-protected sites, as seen with Facebook’s transition to requiring SSL for all applications and Google’s transition to the https standard for all logged-in searches. You may wonder exactly what SSL certificate security is. Well, SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. This protocol is a standardized way to encrypt (i.e., scramble) online transmission. An SSL-secured site uses an encryption or algorithm to encode and decode data. The SSL system involves two individual keys, which are called the private key and the public key. Typically the public key is just that – available to all — whereas the private key is known only to the site owner.
Web sites with SSL encryption start with https rather than http. In other words, SSL is so commonplace that it is built into the Web’s infrastructure and browser functionality. Https web sites require an active and site-specific SSL for data transfer; if the SSL is expired, for a different site, or not installed properly, error messages result. Typically, web sites used for online payment or digital transactions are secured through this encryption/decryption protocol, as are some email sites.
Let's look at how HTTPS works: a secure channel must be created on an unsecured network. Cipher suites are used for this purpose, and SSL certificates are a verified and affordable solution. In general, web browsers have a list of accepted, pre-installed certificate authorities (CA). An SSL certificate indicates whether an online purchase or online transaction is advisable. Some web browsers may provide a plug-in for this purpose. If a site is visited and the SSL certificate has not been added to your web browser, you will be prompted with a warning and you must confirm the risk of seeing the site in any way. Cheap SSL certificates will increase your safety, both web browsing and shopping, such as you experience through online third party payment platforms like PayPal or bank wire.
What happens when a Web browser connects to an SSL-secure Web site? The first step is that the browser tries to connect to the website. The browser requests the Web server to verify whether the web site has an SSL-secure connection or not. The Web server of the site sends a copy of the SSL certificate for the visitor’s web browser verification.
To secure a website, it’s best to review the SSL providers both for key functions of SSL as well as the below details. Types of SSL certificates are standardized throughout the industry, but the below should be considered before ordering.
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Source: http://rapidssl.articlealley.com/creating-web-site-security-with-trusted-ssl-certificates-2401985.html