The 10 Best SSL Certificates Of December 2023

SSL certificates help websites maintain security against breaches from third parties, including hackers who would steal valuable customer data. When you look at the web address on your computer, it begins with an ‘HTTP’ or ‘HTTPS’. Most Internet users know that the ‘s’ means secure, and the site is protected by the best SSL certificate. Website creators purchase the best SSL certificates when they establish their domain names, both to protect their websites from interference from hackers and to protect their users and customers from having their data breached. Sites that begin with HTTP aren’t encrypted and are therefore vulnerable to interception from third parties.

A VPN service adds another layer of security to the passage of data between two parties, the end user, and the website. However, it’s always best to remember that without the best SSL certificate, anything sent to that website, including credit card information, isn’t secure. Read on for everything you need to know about finding the best SSL certificate.

Table Of Contents

• What Is An SSL Certificate?
• Why Should I Use SSL On My Website?
• Do Websites Without Sensitive Information Need An SSL Certificate?
• Finding The Best SSL Certificates
• SSL Certificate Validation

What Is An SSL Certificate?

The term SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, and it’s one of the foundations of Internet security. It allows the encryption of data transferring back and forth over a server. This includes a customer entering their credit card information, health care information, sensitive data like social security numbers, or simply their name and email.

Best SSL certificates also help protect company websites from hackers, scammers, and phishing schemes. They can protect the content of your website from being altered or compromised by outside influences. If you want users to trust your website and enter their credential in your business then at first you must get best SSL certificate.

Why Should I Use Best SSL Certificate On My Website?

Protection on the Internet is key. It’s why so many companies invest heavily in making sure that their website and their customers are secure. There are four chief benefits of using best SSL certificates to secure your website.

• Authentication: This ensures that the servers you connect to are what they say they are – authentication verifies that the server is legitimate and also the website is what it purports to be.
• Data Integrity: Secure Socket Layer protects data between your web client and different servers. This is done using sophisticated encryption that prevents third parties from accessing the data as it’s transmitted between the user and the website or between websites and servers.
• Secure Encryption: Any communication to and from third parties is encrypted from hackers and prying eyes.
• SEO: Google’s algorithms tend to rank websites that have a Secure Socket Layer certificate higher than those without one. Ranking high on search engine returns allows more users to see your website, in turn growing your business.

Having ‘HTTPS’ precede your domain name gives users assurances that your website is serious about their security. This can be especially important for any site that handles financial information, whether it’s taking a credit card or something more complex like client profiles and tax information.

Other sites, such as those relating to health care or other sensitive personal information, should have the best SSL certificate protection, and if there are client forms that your users need to fill out, having the best SSL certificate protection is necessary.

Do Websites Without Sensitive Information Need An SSL Certificate?

Do websites that don’t have any client submission forms or collect sensitive information still need the best SSL certificate? The answer is yes, your website will most certainly benefit from secure encryption.

Google is making changes to how they produce results from an online search, promoting websites that do have the best SSL certificates over ones without. Furthermore, Google has a user notification for websites without a Secure Socket Layer certificate. Google will give more importance to those websites that have SSL security, so contact any SSL certificate provider to buy the best SSL certificate for your business. 

Finding The Best SSL Certificates

Finding the best SSL certificates means looking for ones that are scalable and able to handle growth as your business grows. Choosing a Secure Socket Layer provider that’s committed to constantly evolving is also important, as these companies are better able to handle ever changing threats and hacking methods.

Some companies focus exclusively on enterprise customers with a higher emphasis on the ones pursuing PKI solutions. These best SSL certificate providers have higher levels of customer service and tend to cost more. Other certification providers offer both web hosting services and security certifications, offering domains with security encryption built-in.

It’s also important to research the customer service from the best SSL certificate providers, plus their responsiveness in case of a breach. The most reputable and best SSL certificate providers also have independent third party security, the Certificate Authority (CA). Check for this, as this ensures the validation of the security certificate. Without a CA verification, your Secure Socket Layer may be revoked, leaving your website and customer data would be unprotected. You can contact any well respected best SSL certificate provider to register your business security badge.

SSL Certificate Validation

Not all SSL certificates are the same. There are four common levels of validation.

1. Self-signed certificates are those authenticated by the website itself. While useful for intra-company web connections, they are the lowest level of validation and security.
2. Domain validation confirms the authenticity of a website and shows users that the pages they’re accessing come from the domain as stated. It doesn’t validate anything other than the website owns the domain.
3. Organization validation is the highest level of validation for an individual user, although this level of validation is often strong enough for most businesses, as well. This validation also checks against local government databases and company credentials to verify the named owners.
4. Extended validation refers to a fully authenticated best SSL certificate. It’s necessary for any company that offers online transactions, secure web connectivity, or financial transactions.

Although some organizations may find that a self-signed or domain-level certificate meets their needs, for any website to truly protect the personal and financial data of their users, an Best SSL Certificate is essential. These certifications prove that the company has the domain ownership, is a real business, and user data is secured. Companies that accept content submission forms with personal information and those that take online payments need the highest levels of encryption.

Secure Your Domain Today

Having ‘HTTPS’ precede your domain name assures visitors that you take the protection of their sensitive data seriously, and nothing will turn customers away faster than the risk of having their online activity breached. Not all SSL certificate providers are created equal, so it’s important to do your research about the companies you’re considering and make sure that they meet the needs of your website now and in the future.

VPN.com has all the information you need to make an educated decision and protect your domain with the best SSL certificate for you.