What is SSL and why is it Important?

SSL INFORMATION:

SSL or Secure Sockets Layer is a data encryption security technology for establishing a secure link between a web server and your browser. This technology ensures that all data passed between the web server and your browsers remains totally private. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their customers online transactions. To be able to create this encrypted data transfer a web server/business requires an SSL Certificate. When installed and activated on a web server two cryptographic keys are created - a Private Key and a Public Key.

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE KEYS:

The Public Key does not need to be secret and is placed into a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) - a data file containing the details of the online business. During the SSL Certificate application process, the Certification Authority will validate the online business and once satisfied, will then issue the SSL Certificate.

The online business web server will then match the issued SSL Certificate to the Private Key. The online business web server will then be able to establish an encrypted link between the online ecommerce website and your web browser.

The complexities of the SSL protocol remain invisible to you the customer. Instead your browser will provide a key indicator to let you know you are currently protected by an SSL encrypted session - the lock icon in the address bar on most browsers. Clicking on this lock icon will display the online business SSL Certificate and the details about it.

Image taken from the Chrome browser

All SSL Certificates are issued to either companies or legally accountable individuals.

Typically an SSL Certificate will contain the domain name, the company name and maybe the full address including the country. It will also contain the expiration date of the Certificate and details of the Certification Authority responsible for the issuance of the Certificate.

Image taken from the Chrome browser

When your browser connects to a secure site (like ours) it will retrieve our site's SSL Certificate and check that it has not expired, it has been issued by a Certification Authority the browser trusts, and that it is being used by the website for which it has been issued. If it fails on any one of these checks the browser will display a warning to the end user letting them know that the site is not secured by SSL.

You can test our SSL certificate by clicking on the GeoTrust image below

We hope this explains enough for you to feel completely safe when using our ecommerce site – if you have any questions please contact us.