When you conduct transactions on your website, such as selling products or services through an online store, you must assure your customers that all personal information they provide will be secure and, therefore, that you are a trustworthy company. Did you know that creating a digital certificate when your company requires it can be the best solution?
Just as when you go to a physical store to buy a product and you check that everything is in order: they charge you by the correct means, the exact amount and that they do not misuse your bank details, the same must be true in the digital world. Even more so if you provide personal data such as name, address and financial details in order to make a purchase.
All companies that sell online must have a digital certificate that guarantees that they are serious businesses and that they will not risk their data during purchase transactions.
What is a digital certificate?
A digital certificate is a document endorsed by a Certification Authority with the company's information. This authority confirms that the company is trustworthy and safe so that its clients can carry out commercial transactions through its website.
A website that has a digital certificate is much more likely to increase its traffic and, consequently, its sales, since browsers will have no problem transmitting the information sent through them.
Who issues certificates and how do they work?
Certification Authorities are the only ones that can issue and sign such certificates. palestine business email list The most common are SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificates, which contain basic information about the company, such as:
Name of owner
Company name
Public key
Serial number
Validity of the certificate
This information is encrypted in the certificate and travels through the browser securely so that it cannot be read by anyone, since it can only be accessed or connected to with the private key located on the server.
It is important that your website has this type of digital certificate because it is the only security mechanism capable of preventing the information that travels between the server and the browser from being breached or stolen. Your clients' data and even yours can be compromised if it is not encrypted from your website.
What else does a security certificate protect?
Not only banking information is protected with this type of certificate: if your website also has access to other confidential information, such as email passwords, full names or addresses, you must have a digital certificate to secure it.
The SSL certificate protects all data that travels through the browser because it contains a public key and a private key. The public key works like a lock to keep all the information safe and encrypt it; while the private key works as the key to said lock to be able to access the information and decrypt it.
What happens if you don't create a digital certificate?
When a website does not have an SSL digital certificate, the browser warns the user that it is not safe to enter the site and that their information may be compromised. A website without a certificate appears in the navigation bar as http and a website with an SSL digital certificate appears as https .
Likewise, at the top of the navigation bar a small image of a closed padlock may appear to ensure that the site is secure. By clicking on it, you will be able to see all the information about the SSL certificate and the data of the Certification Authority that endorsed it in a new window.
By creating a digital certificate, any information sent from a server that uses the SSL protocol to a browser that supports it, which is practically any browser you use, will be sent securely without being affected or tracked by hackers or users who do not have the private key.
If you do not yet have an SSL digital certificate, you should know that it is very easy to obtain one. Some hosting service providers can help you obtain the SSL digital certificate that best suits your needs.
