What is SSL certificate? find out with Solter Vision

What is  SSL certificate?

a SSL certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates a website’s identity and enables an encrypted connection. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, a security protocol that creates an encrypted link between a web server and a web browser.

Companies and organizations need to add SSL certificates to their websites to secure online transactions and keep customer information private and secure.

In short: SSL keeps internet connections secure and prevents criminals from reading or modifying information transferred between two systems. When you see a padlock icon next to the URL in the address bar, that means SSL protects the website you are visiting.

Since its inception about 25 years ago, there have been several versions of the SSL protocol, all of which at some point ran into security troubles. A revamped and renamed version followed, TLS (Transport Layer Security), which is still in use today. However, the initials SSL stuck, so the new version of the protocol is still usually called by the old name.

How do SSL certificates work?

SSL works by ensuring that any data transferred between users and websites, or between two systems, remains impossible to read. It uses encryption algorithms to scramble data in transit, which prevents hackers from reading it as it is sent over the connection. This data includes potentially sensitive information such as names, addresses, credit card numbers, or other financial details.

The process works like this:

• A browser or server attempts to connect to a website (i.e., a web server) secured with SSL.
• The browser or server requests that the web server identify itself.
• The web server sends the browser or server a copy of its SSL certificate in response.
• The browser or server checks to see whether it trusts the SSL certificate. If it does, it signals this to the webserver.
• The web server then returns a digitally signed acknowledgment to start an SSL encrypted session.
• Encrypted data is shared between the browser or server and the webserver.

This process is sometimes referred to as an “SSL handshake.” While it sounds like a lengthy process, it takes place in milliseconds.

When a website is secured by an SSL certificate, the acronym HTTPS (which stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure) appears in the URL. Without an SSL certificate, only the letters HTTP (i.e., without the S for secure) will appear. A padlock icon will also display in the URL address bar. This signals trust and provides reassurance to those visiting the website.

To view an SSL certificate’s details, you can click on the padlock symbol located within the browser bar. Details typically included within SSL certificates include:

• The domain name that the certificate was issued for
• Which person, organization, or device it was issued to
• Which certificate authority issued it?
• The Certificate Authority’s digital signature
• Associated subdomains
• Issue date of the certificate
• The expiration date of the certificate
• The public key (the private key is hidden)

Types of SSL certificate

There are different types of SSL certificates with different validation levels. The six main types are:

• Extended Validation certificates (EV SSL)
• Organization Validated certificates (OV SSL)
• Domain Validated certificates (DV SSL)
• Wildcard SSL certificates
• Multi-Domain SSL certificates (MDC)
• Unified Communications Certificates (UCC)

Cybersecurity risks continue to evolve but understanding the types of SSL certificates to look out for and how to distinguish a safe site from a potentially dangerous one will help internet users avoid scams and protect their personal data from cybercriminals.

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