There is an increase in website owners due to the demand for every business to have an online presence. By 2021, the number of websites on the internet rose to 1.88 according to Statista.
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Most of them collect sensitive data from their visitors i.e. email addresses, personal details, sensitive information like credit card details, etc.
The information has pushed many cybercriminals to organize themselves, access the data, and use it for different illegal activities.
Having a Secured Sockets Lock (SSL) certificate on your website protects all the sensitive information by encrypting all the information during its transfer.
Common SSL Certificate Security Myths
There are several SSL certificate myths that users keep saying and they are not true.
The guide will cover some of the common myths among website owners.
SSL Certificate Affects Website Loading Speed
For a good customer experience, ensure your website loads very fast to minimize high bounce rates.
Once a user understands that you have an SSL certificate installed, they feel you take care of their sensitive data and they will keep visiting your site.
The myth that SSL certificates affect website speed is a lie.
Several factors can lead to lower loading speed but an SSL certificate is not one of them.
If you have such issues consider fixing issues like reducing the number of plugins, compressing your images, changing your hosting provider, and changing the size of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Code.
It Affects Your SEO efforts
Search Engine Optimization is a type of marketing strategy that involves implementing different practices to increase organic traffic.
It is one of the common SSL security myths that having the certificate installed will lower your SEO strategies which is wrong.
Installing an SSL certificate on your domain provides your site with HTTPS protection which Google treats as a ranking factor.
It shows that your users can trust your website since you take care of their sensitive information. Google will later reward you by ranking you higher on search results.
It also stops warning your visitors when they try to visit your website since it’s well-protected against any vulnerabilities.
They are Costly
Many website owners believe that owning or buying an SSL certificate is expensive. Factors that affect the price of the certificate include the number of IPs protected, memory resources, number of domains and subdomains, bandwidth, web server requirements, how it gets displayed, etc. Most of them range from 10-100 USD per year.
There are cheap SSL certificate providers like Comodo, Sectigo, GoDaddy, etc. Believing that getting the certificate is costly is one of the common SSL certificate myths used by techies to non-techies, but that’s not the case.
You can survive Without an SSL Certificate
It is one of the common SSL certificate myths among first-time website owners.
Every website, whether it’s a landing page, WordPress website, custom design, e-commerce platform, etc. requires an SSL certificate.
The certificate provides extra security to your site, enables you to rank higher on search engine results and users trust you on the way you deal with their data.
Others believe that it is only required for websites that deal with payment processing which is wrong.
Apart from e-commerce-related websites, all websites require an SSL certificate to get installed.
There is Only One Type of SSL certificate
Many users say that there is only one type of SSL certificate is another SSL certificate myth that no one should follow.
There are different types of certificates, each with its features and prices.
When choosing which certificate to work with, you ensure it meets your budget and requirements and fulfills the security requirements.
The commonly used certificates are as follows:
- Wildcard SSL Certificates. They are cheap SSL certificates that protect a domain and it’s all subdomains.
- Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates. It is mainly used by bigger organizations. It displays the company name at the top of the URL and has one of the best security features due to the high level of authentication and improved trust.
- Organization Validated (OV) SSL Certificates. It validates all organization information by verifying all the details and information.
- Domain Validated (DV) SSL Certificates. They are easier to get and provide only basic encryption to domains.
You Only Need an SSL certificate for Website Security
When building a website, having an SSL certificate is not the only solution you need to have reliable security.
Apart from the certificate you must implement other methods like performing updates, using strong passwords, scanning, using the right access permissions, etc.
An SSL certificate plays an important role in website security by protecting your sensitive data from cybercriminals. It mainly protects the data that is in transit.
Owners must deploy other security measures to ensure it’s safe and develop a security checklist for ensuring their site is safe from vulnerabilities and any other security attacks.
You Only Need an SSL certificate on the login and Signup pages
Many owners still believe that you only need to install the SSL certificate on the login and signup pages. Since they are the ones that have sensitive information.
If you secure fewer pages there are higher chances of exposing the rest of the pages to vulnerabilities.
Ensure to install the certificate on all web pages for you to remain safe and protect yourself from vulnerabilities.
Installation requires an expert
Many users still believe that installing an SSL certificate on your website requires hiring someone like a cloud expert.
You can follow the documentation, ensure you choose the right certificate, generate a Certificate Signing Request, and understand how to validate the certificate and the installation process. It doesn’t require a lot of expertise as many people keep saying.
You must understand how to install a new certificate in case you change your servers or hosts.
You follow the same processes of installation to protect your website. Each certificate has renewal dates where you must renew your license to keep it working perfectly.
Last Words
The guide covered different SSL certificate myths that are very common. You now have a deeper understanding of them.
SSL certificates protect your website’s sensitive data and it is important you learn more details about it before believing what other people say. If you go to Godaddy- one of the best domain registrars and business e-mail providers for Godaddy e-mail login, you will notice an SSL certificate in the address bar.
Alongside every myth, I covered the truth about the certificate and hope you now have more knowledge about it.
Businesses must choose the right certificate depending on their project requirements.
Believing the myths can cost you and make you lose your website to hackers which you might never recover if you fail to fulfill their demands.
