What is SSL / TLS? | SwissSign
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SwissSign • 14.05.2021

What are SSL / TLS certificates?

SSL / TLS certificates, also known as TLS certificates, are an important element of a website that is crucial to its success. How does it work?

What is SSL?

SSL certificates, also known as TLS certificates, are an important element of a website that is crucial to its success. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption improves a site’s Google ranking and safeguards customer data.

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Why are SSL certificates important? An example.

Having become tired of her old TV, Lisa Smith orders a new one online. After entering and confirming her personal data, the payment is made. Three days later, Lisa is astonished to not only receive her TV but also several spam emails from princes and wealthy heirs.

There’s a simple reason for this. Lisa ordered from a nearby shop she knew, which had only just launched its own online shop. The owner was probably not yet even aware that there was no SSL encryption in place for this online shop. He’d overlooked this detail in his need to get the shop up and running quickly. This made it easy for a petty criminal to read the customer data and use it for spamming.

SSL certificates ensure a secure connection

Such problems for Lisa and online shop owners can be avoided by using SSL certificates. These can be quickly installed in a browser. When you purchase these certificates from SwissSign, you can rely on professional customer support in several languages in case of doubt. Once the connection is secure, a padlock is displayed in Lisa’s browser, indicating a secure HTTPS connection.

 

This connection acts like a protected tunnel, carrying all information flows to and from the online shop and Lisa’s computer. Before the connection is established, Lisa’s browser verifies the identity of the online shop via its SSL certificate. Once this check has been completed successfully, an encrypted connection is established. This secure communication channel makes it extremely difficult for anyone to steal Lisa’s data and use it for spamming.

SSL: advantages in a nutshell

Benefits of SSL for website operators

  • Ability to build trust through secure identification and authentication

  • Customer data is protected against third-party access

  • Trusted by Google, which means an improved ranking

Benefits of SSL for website visitors

  • Knowing who you’re communicating with

  • Peace of mind thanks to encrypted communication with the target site

  • Secure exchange of personal data

Benefits of SwissSign certificates

  • Swiss quality with a Swiss CA – for twenty years

  • Professional service in several languages (German, English, French)

  • 30-day money-back guarantee – no questions asked

Conclusion: SSL certificates are essential if you want to transfer data securely

SSL certificates are therefore an essential element of any website. They prove the authenticity of the domain/organisation and ensure that data is transmitted via secure communication channels. Such secure transmission is especially important when payment details or other personal information are involved. The applicant is validated before the certificate is issued. The extent of this check depends on the validation level of the SSL certificate.

What you should do now

 

1. Choose your certificate and secure your online or e-mail communications instantly: buy the certificate in our webshop now. Easy installation manual included.

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2. Simplify your certificate management for TLS/SSL and e-mail: With our Managed PKI (MPKI), you can independently manage certificates for your employees, customers and partners according to your needs and save compared to purchasing individual certificates.

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3. Get advice on how to optimise your PKI set-up – can you achieve a lower cost of ownership with MPKI? Would it make sense to invest in certificate lifecycle management?

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