Firstly what does SSL mean? It stands for Secure Sockets Layer and it points to making your connection safer to use.  The SSL is a protocol put in place to create a secure connection between yourself, the client and the server which is sending or receiving your information. It’s complicated but the standard procedure involves a cryptographic system which actually encrypts data.

The certificate contains small data files that “magically “and digitally bind these cryptographic keys to an organisation’s details. The one is a private key and the second is referred to as a public key.  The public key is known to the server and available in the public domain. This is used to encrypt your messages out there in the big world wide web.  If this is installed on a server it will activate a padlock feature that change the Http prefix to Https which will tell you this site or server is secure in your browser.

In most cases the SSL Certificate is used on sites where there are credit card transactions allowed, where there is a transfer of data and when logins are required for access to a site. It is also becoming the norm on social media sites.  It is easy to explain this as a protocol which binds together a domain name, server name or host name to a company name or location.

Apart from making sure you are on a valid and creditable site or server, this SSL certificate also has other functions. It can increase your Google rankings and helps to build your customer trust as they now view you as being involved in making sure they are shopping or downloading securely.

Where can I buy an SSL certificate?

You should always make sure that your SSL Certificate is issued by a trusted Certificate Authority. Imaginet only uses the tried and tested certification provided by Thawte which provides you with full protection as far as possible.  We can sell you one and install it for you without you having to lift a finger.

Contact us on info@imaginet.co.za to secure your data.