The SSL Certificates: 6 Things to Know

The SSL certificate, Secure Sockets Layer, is a protocol designed to protect sensitive information during online transactions. It is indicated by a padlock or by adding an "s" to the end of the http, like this: https.

It secures transactions such as online banking or any information requested by a company for the purchase of a product or service. In these cases, having the certificate is mandatory. Before October 1, 2017, a certificate wasn't necessary if the user didn't exchange personal information. However, this changed because information is automatically collected by search engines for anyone conducting online searches. While it's possible to disable tracking, otherwise, personal information gets collected.

SSLs are meant to protect personal information, but they are not foolproof in the sense that information such as search terms and the chosen search engine can still be shared.

Since October 1, 2017, Google Chrome indicates whether a site is secure or not. You may see the label "NOT SECURED." Google has become stricter with websites to enhance control and data protection. If a company does not purchase an SSL certificate, it can face negative impacts from users who are informed that the site is not well protected. So, there is a psychological risk that can reduce traffic to a website.

According to a 2014 message from Google, a secure site is a ranking factor for the search engine. Google favors businesses with an SSL certificate as they can be perceived as more reliable by Google's robots due to the security displayed on their site. This can enhance the positioning of your website in search engine results.

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There are different SSL certificates that offer various levels of approval. The SSL certificate confirms domain ownership. The Extended Validation SSL certificate confirms the organization, and the Organization Validation SSL certificate confirms both the organization and its legitimacy. In all three types of certificates, a padlock is displayed to confirm secure navigation.

The SAN SSL certificate can protect multiple websites, and the Wildcard SSL certificate protects subdomains. The code signing certificate confirms the authenticity of the source.

There are different packages for obtaining an SSL certificate. You can choose a package based on the level of protection you need and the number of pages you want to secure.

On the Web Hosting Canada website, monthly packages range from $2.91 to $14.98 for a 2- or 3-year contract. Costs may vary depending on the number of sites you need to protect.

On other sites like Godaddy, packages range from $99.99 to $444.99 per year. They offer different certificates to meet various needs.

A good practice for HTTP is to redirect HTTP 301 error pages to a permanent web page.

Do not block the indexing of the robot.txt because you have two addresses, either "http" or "https." Allow the indexing of your page, as it improves positioning thanks to the SSL certificate.

Instead, use the meta robots noindex tag to exclude "http" from indexing by the operating robot. For the tag to work, it must not be blocked by a robot.txt.

If your site already exists, follow the instructions to integrate the SSL certificate. If it's a new site, you have no choice but to adhere strictly to the new regulations.

Sotheary Chan