With data breaches from major companies appearing constantly as headline news, it is not surprising that consumers are aware that security is a major issue and that their trust dwindles accordingly. When customers have to constantly worry about a company protecting personal information, those companies lose their credibility.

This is where SSL comes in. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a standard security technology created to secure the traffic on the Internet using encryption. It is used every single day by millions of websites and applications to protect the sensitive information of their customers and is commonly represented by all major web browsers as a padlock or green color. In fact, SSL is the most used security protocol in the world.

By understanding the importance of data security to consumers, and therefore the necessary technology that can protect that data, online retailers and businesses can gain their customers’ trust, which will only grow the company’s credibility, as well as increase their ability to procure a positive online experience for its visitors.

Why Choose SSL

Enterprises rely on SSL/TLS to secure a large number of corporate communication platforms and operations. SSL goes beyond just securing websites, it also secures email communications, server to server connections, and mail to server connections.

According to a blog post by SpamExperts, “The benefit that most people are aware of is that SSL can prevent your user’s sensitive information from being leaked or intercepted through encryption, which helps prevent identity theft and account compromise, among other things.”

The post goes on to mention that there are numerous real-world situations where SSL helps improve the user experience that are not immediately obvious; for example, SSL prevents content injection such as an ISP or Hotspot placing extra cookies or ads onto a site, which ensures a better user experience. Man-in-the-middle attacks or spoofing are also prevented because other servers are not able to reproduce a company’s SSL Certificate, which makes active network attacks significantly more difficult.

Further, the SSL “handshake” that takes place between a client and the server to start a secure connection allows customers to rest easy. This connection involves the necessary encryption and authentication that secures user privacy and personal information, and also ensures customers have a good experience while browsing online.

It is also important to note that not every SSL Certificate provider can offer complete verification of the identity of the certificate holder. DigiCert is one of the premier Certificate Authorities in the world and has been providing SSL Certificates and SSL management tools for over a decade. The best SSL Certificates are never processed with automated systems, and they always include human review for security and identity verification. The high-assurance, fully trusted SSL Certificates that DigiCert issues all include rigorous identity verification.

SSL Encryption Guarantees Positive Results

There’s no denying the confidence and trust that an SSL Certificate can provide to a site the first time (and every time after that) a visitor goes to a site. SSL certificates are no longer just a nice perk that websites and email servers provide to their customers. Instead, they have become an absolute necessity for any company that wants to be perceived as trustworthy and rank high in search engines. The sooner you secure your website or email server, the better results you can expect in the long run.

The language of the future is digital; and with emerging technologies, this future will include interconnected devices that automate the management of the appliances and devices we depend on every day. Choosing SSL to secure these devices as well as standard webpages demonstrates that a company values customer trust, which is essential to financial success, customer conversion, and business growth.