What Is an SSL Certificate and Why Do I Need It?
An SSL certificate is a file that is installed on the web server. It ensures that the domain name in the certificate matches the domain name of the site, and enables a visitor’s browser to make a secure, encrypted connection to the site.
Of course, encrypting data is critical where financial transactions are concerned. But even if you’re not transferring financial data, private data such as usernames and passwords can be passed between your site and a visitor’s browser.
Without an SSL certificate and the HTTPS connection, private data doesn’t get encrypted, and that makes it vulnerable.
An HTTPS connection can also give your site a leg up in search engine results since Google says it will give preference to websites using HTTPS over those that do not.
GreenGeeks Makes Securing Your Website Easy
There are two options for HTTPS with GreenGeeks:
Premium AlphaSSL Wildcard SSL Certificate
If you are doing financial transactions or transferring other sensitive information to customers, this is the certificate for you. It is issued by a trusted certificate authority and provides 256-bit encryption along with a warranty, digital seal and 2048 bit root strength.
Also, there are multi-year renewal options available. The Premium AlphaSSL Wildcard SSL Certificate costs $99.95 a year.
Let’s Encrypt Wildcard SSL Certificate
Let’s Encrypt certificates are issued by the Let’s Encrypt project. They provide basic protection but do not include warranties, website seals, or other value-added services like those offered by a trusted certificate authority.
The advantage is there is no charge for a Let’s Encrypt certificate. If you want to enable HTTPS but don’t have financial or sensitive information to protect, it’s a good choice.
Let’s Encrypt certificates have to be renewed every 90 days, but we take care of that for you automatically.
Get an SSL Certificate and Enable HTTPS on Your Website Now
To enable SSL certificates on your website, you can do so through GreenGeeks. In just a few clicks of the mouse, you can quickly add “https:” to the beginning of your domain.
Note that in addition to the options presented here, you can use a third-party SSL certificate on your GreenGeeks-hosted website(s). A dedicated IP address addon is not required for Let’s Encrypt certificates or the Premium AlphaSSL Wildcard SSL Certificate sold by GreenGeeks.
I just installed the Let’s Encrypt. I was given a file (Like Google does). Do I have to place the file somewhere or is that just for my records?
Hi Phil, it’s for your records. You’ve probably seen by now that Let’s Encrypt starts working right away.
For clarification sake:
Maybe there should be a link from this article to the installation procedure?
How do I or can I use the free SSL on subdomans?
I installed Let’s Encrypt on our 3 websites, but I’m seeing “Not Secure” on the websites. What do I still need to do to get that “Secure” designation on my websites? Thanks.