What is an SSL Certificate?
An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates a website's identity and enables an encrypted connection between a web server and a browser. It is what enables HTTPS and the padlock icon in your browser's address bar.
How Does SSL Certificate Work?
When a browser connects to a server with an SSL certificate, a process called an SSL/TLS handshake occurs. The server presents its certificate, the browser verifies it against trusted certificate authorities, and they establish an encrypted session. This encryption ensures that data transmitted between the user and the server cannot be intercepted or tampered with by third parties.
SSL certificates come in different validation levels: Domain Validation (DV) which verifies domain ownership, Organization Validation (OV) which also verifies the organization, and Extended Validation (EV) which provides the highest level of trust. Free SSL certificates from Let's Encrypt have made HTTPS accessible to everyone, and modern browsers now flag sites without SSL as "Not Secure," making SSL essential for every website.
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