When it comes to website security, you never can be too careful. Phishing scams, malware, and other kinds of cyber threats are growing by the day, ready to exploit your website and potentially damage your business. But there are measures you can take to bolster your security posture. One of those measures includes installing secure sockets layer certificates, better known as SSL certificates.
Let's take a closer look at how SSL certificates protect a website user's data from cyberattacks.

When you set up a website, your website browser and website server communicate with each other. They pass information to each other that includes your customer's personal data. SSL certificates allow for encrypted engagement between a website's server and browser. It's a security measure that limits the ability of a cyber attacker to interrupt and hijack this flow of data.

Imagine you're accessing a website from your smartphone. Before you reach the website, an HTTP request will:

• Be encrypted on a mobile phone using an SSL certificate
• Pass a Wi-Fi access point
• Pass a home router
• Pass an ISP switch
• Pass WAN servers
• Pass a hosting gateway
• Reach the server hosting the site

If your phone is hacked, your data is at risk because the infection takes place before reaching the SSL encryption. When the website you're visiting is hacked, your data is at risk because the infection occurred after SSL encryption. If any network equipment is hacked, your data is safe because it is passed in an encrypted form.

What if you had a way to ensure that the information transmitted during the payment transaction was secure? That means the protection of your customers' names, addresses, and financial information.

eCommerce has never been more popular, with more and more shoppers opting to purchase online than ever before. If you operate an eCommerce store, having a payment system with integrity and the trust of your customers is paramount for your success.

When customers enter their payment information into your site, they're doing so with the idea that they can trust your organization to carefully handle their information. An SSL certificate allows both your customers and your company to breathe easier, as information shared between the browser and server will remain safe.

Another key component of running a website is the practice of communicating with your customers. Your website is often the most visible part of your organization's digital presence. Because of this, your customers and website visitors may use it to contact you. They can do this through a contact form, chat box, or some other system you've set up to allow them to connect with you.

Using these communication channels, they often share personal data and other information that hackers love to get their hands on. That makes your customer communication mechanisms a potential vulnerability. But with an SSL certificate in place, you can communicate reliably without worrying about these mechanisms being compromised.

SSL certificates protect any information shared between your customer and your site. That means any malicious actors attempting to intervene and steal the information by perusing your communication mechanisms will run into a virtual brick wall. They protect all personal data that your customers share.

When your customers need to talk to you, they'll want those conversations and all the information shared to be kept confidential. SSL certificates ensure that they are.

If a site is compromised by either a browser or server infection, an SSL certificate can't help you. Where it can help is with infections that might occur on network devices.

Your SSL certificate shuttles sensitive data between your browser and your website's backend. That data moves between multiple network environments such as routers and switches.
Without the benefit of an SSL certificate, anyone using these network devices gains visibility into this traffic. With an SSL certificate in place, the traffic becomes encrypted and decrypted by the browser and server.

Your SSL certificate secures your data as it moves between multiple network environments. If you don't have an SSL certificate in place, anyone with access to the various devices your traffic comes into contact with could potentially access and expose the data. It ensures a secure data transfer between the browser and server.

Now that you understand why it's advantageous to have an SSL certificate, let's explore an easy way to get one - all while gaining access to a whole host of other website security-related benefits.

The first step in adding an SSL certificate to your website is partnering with a trusted provider of IT services who knows how to install and integrate it with your existing site systems. The key to remember is that SSL certificates aren't the only component of your website security. They are important, but there are other security measures you should take to have a comprehensive approach. Whichever provider you choose, ensure that their SSL certification is included as part of a larger package of security features.

Quttera's ThreatSign platform is the solution for you in this case. ThreatSign has a web application firewall (WAF) that protects your site from hackers and other cyber attacks. It keeps the right visitors in and the wrong operators out. Threatsign's WAF enables your site to operate without worrying about the various types of cyber attacks that can severely damage your site.

So where does the SSL certificate come in? All users of the ThreatSign platform receive a free SSL certificate. Forget having to track down another provider or service to input it for you - with ThreatSign, you've got access to a powerful WAF with a baked-in SSL certificate, including automatic SSL certificate management. It's the best of both worlds.

Learn more about SSL benefits and how to easily manage the SSL for your website by signing up for ThreatSign's DNS web application firewall with free SSL.