What is SSL?
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer .
It protects sensitive data between server and client .
In simple terms, the information transmitted between you and the website is encrypted and secure.
For those who own an e-commerce website, an SSL certificate is essential. It not only improves the credibility of the website, but also greatly improves the website's search engine rankings.
Many bloggers think they don’t need an SSL certificate because they are only providing information and not selling anything.
This logic seems reasonable, but we should know that blogging is more than just a hobby, and people make decisions based on the information in the blog. Using SSL encryption can prevent man-in-the-middle attacks, which is a serious security issue when working online.
Bloggers can take advantage of free SSL (shared SSL) from companies like LetsEncrypt and CloudFlare. Both of these companies are free and supported by all major hosting companies. They also both offer domain validated SSL certificates. (You’ll learn more about the different types of SSL in the next article in this series.)
Now, let's look at the things you need to consider when purchasing an SSL certificate.
Dedicated SSL vs. Shared SSL
- Dedicated SSL is completely owned by one user* (and costs money).
- Shared SSL is usually free, but has security issues and is not recommended for e-commerce sites.
Another major difference between dedicated SSL and shared SSL is the support service. Shared SSL does not provide support, while dedicated SSL does.
(However, a quick search on Google or a hosted technical support system can help you resolve any issues you encounter.)
Encryption level
There are various encryption levels to choose from. To accept credit/debit cards you should have at least a 128-bit SSL certificate.
Brand Name:
When you look for options to buy an SSL certificate, you'll find a wide variety of companies selling them. This can be confusing.
You can buy an SSL from anywhere, but when you are selling expensive items like cars, jewelry, jets, or anything where the trust factor plays a major role in the buying decision, consider going with a brand.
For high-end e-commerce sites, you can purchase an SSL from a company like Verisign, Geotrust , or Comodo .
Do you need a dedicated IP?
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- When using SSL certificates, it is very important to have a dedicated IP.
This way, your SSL certificate will be associated with your IP address. However, a dedicated IP is no longer a prerequisite for installing an SSL certificate.
On shared hosting, many companies use Server Name Indication (SNI) to serve SSL certificates on a shared IP address . SNI indicates the hostname the client is trying to connect to and allows the server to serve multiple certificates on the same IP address and port number.
In short, you can use SSL certificates on shared hosting.
But when using a shared IP, there are some trade-offs to consider:
- Certificate mismatch errors are common.
- SNI is not compatible with many older browsers.
- For example: Safari on Windows XP, any version of Internet Explorer (6, 7, 8, 9), BlackBerry Browser.
- You can read more about SNI here .
I recommend you get started with a dedicated IP address. It usually costs around $3 per month, or you can get one for free with a high-end shared hosting plan .
Can you pay for SSL every two months?
You can't.
The minimum term for purchasing an SSL certificate is 1 year.
Alternatively, you can choose to purchase 2-3 years at a time.
Hopefully, the above answers some of the questions you had before purchasing an SSL certificate. In the next guide, you will learn about the different types of SSL certificates and which one you should buy.
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