These days, even the relatively tech-illiterate know the importance of staying secure online. With education about the dos and don’ts of online security and awareness continuing to grow, internet-users are no longer oblivious to the purpose of security certificates, VPNs, and firewalls. Some schools are even teaching it to students in class! All of this is of course a good thing; an awareness of the dangers of online fraud and hacking makes the internet a safer and fairer place for all involved, including retailers. But it does mean that vendors and those who rely on sensitive transactions for their business could potentially be missing on potential income from customers if they don’t present adequate proof of the measures they’ve taken to make their site safer, or if existing safeguards aren’t up to scratch.
This is where SSL certification comes in to play. As stated in www.collectiveray.com , a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate is basically evidence to site visitors that your website will encrypt (prevent interception from fraudulent third parties) any data sent between them and your site. In most browsers, this can be viewed by clicking the padlock symbol on the browser bar, and gives the viewer information about the site’s certification validity, the issuing Certification Authority, and the details of who it was issued to. With Google Chrome’s newer browser versions, there are a couple more steps to follow to undertake this check, which you can read about here.
I’ve written about the most common errors people make when they build a website, and overlooking security is definitely one of these. Sure, your website is encrypted. But exactly how can you check that the certification is installed correctly and valid as well as view the certificate details to find out if any opportunities for security vulnerabilities are present? It’s easy! Personally, I would recommend running your site’s domain through an SSL checker to keep on top of things.
Here are three good reasons why…
Highlights Security Vulnerabilities
Your SSL checker can tell you where any security gaps lie on your website’s SSL certificate, that you may have been previously unaware of. For example, the certificate may not have been installed properly, or it has expired. From a vendor perspective, information like this is invaluable, and could save you a whole lot of trouble in the long run.
Help with Troubleshooting
As mentioned above, the SSL Checker alerts you to any security vulnerabilities, but using an SSL checker will also help you to get to the root of the issue with diagnostics and advice to help you decide whether you need to modify your server configuration or use a different SSL certificate.
Assurance for your Customers
Not only is their data being exchanged across and encrypted website, that encryption is vouched for, to boot. That way, your clientele can rest assured you’ve done your part in making the internet a safer place!
So what are you waiting for? Take a few minutes to check your site’s certification status and it just might save your site from a major security misfortune.