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Imagine buying something online and as you’re checking out, you’re asked to prove that you own the website you’re trying to purchase from. This is where digital certificates come in.
What are digital certificates and what do they do?
Digital certificates help people verify a site’s authenticity and prove ownership. They are an essential part of making sure a transaction goes off without a hitch. Who needs a digital certificate? Any website that processes transactions could benefit from a digital certificate being used at the time the transaction is made.
Let’s say you have an eCommerce site and you process credit card information. When someone goes to buy something, your site should use a digital certificate to encrypt this information so hackers can’t steal it. If they steal it, they could use someone else’s credit card number to buy something. It would be like stealing money out of your wallet and spending it somewhere else.
Why should I get a digital certificate for my website?
Digital certificates will protect both you and the customer from a potential disaster, should one occur. There are several types of digital certificates that can be used for different purposes on your website, but we’ll get into that later on.
First, let’s cover the benefits of using a digital certificate on your website.
The biggest benefit is that it will protect both you and your customer from hackers stealing sensitive information like credit card numbers or personal information.
As more people are purchasing items online, this is an area of concern for both business owners and customers alike. Once a customer sees that you’re using a digital certificate, they will feel safer buying goods from your website.
Another benefit is that it can help with SEO. Google has said that having a secure site is now one of the factors they’ll use to determine if your site deserves to rank higher or not. If you have an eCommerce site selling products, this is a situation where it could really benefit you.
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How do I get a digital certificate?
There are a number of certificate authorities out there that offer digital certificates, but we’ll focus on two common ones for this article.
1) DigiCert is the world’s leading SSL Certificate Authority and they offer a code signing certificate for businesses with which you can sign your executables and software with.
2) Thawte offers free trust seals for websites that don’t require any sort of registration or validation.
Both of these certificates can be used on your website to help protect sensitive information.
Types of digital certificates
There are generally 3 types of certificates you might need for your website, depending on what you’re using it for.
1) SSL Certificate – This is the type that helps protect your customer’s sensitive information if they’re buying products from you online. Plus, it will help with SEO too.
2) Code-signing certificate – This is the type of certificate for businesses who want to sign their executables and software. The code signing certificates come in several different levels depending on how often people will be running your signed code.
3) Trust seals – This type of certificate is for websites that don’t need the extra protection SSL certificates offer. They are free to use and can help protect you from hackers trying to impersonate your website or steal sensitive information.
The benefits of using a digital certificate on your website
Digital certificates encrypt sensitive information like credit card numbers and help protect you and your customer from hackers trying to steal this data. They can also help with SEO because Google will consider a secure site as one of the criteria it uses for search results. Digital certificates also come in different types depending on what you’re using them for, so make sure you get the correct type for your business needs.
Who needs digital certificates, and why?
Anyone who wants to make their website secure will benefit from having a digital certificate. Make sure you get the right one for your website or business needs by checking with different certificate providers.
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Conclusion
Digital certificates help protect you and your customer from hackers trying to get sensitive information like credit cards. They can also help with SEO because Google considers a secure site as another factor for search results.
