Why an SSL Certificate is Important to Google

Internet security is something that should concern everyone, whether they are end-users, website owners or service providers.

The amount of sensitive data that we are all inputting online is growing by the day and this means keeping it safe and protected has to be a priority.

The question of trust is something that is increasingly being used by website visitors to determine where they spend their money and whose services they buy.

Nobody should be expected to provide a website with their credit or debit card details unless they feel completely safe – this is why it is essential to make sure online connections are 100 percent secure.

Major players

There are very few companies whose actions can lead the way when it comes to the development of the Internet and the way we use it. Google (News - Alert) is definitely in that class, as it is the company whose name is now almost interchangeable with the term 'search engine' itself.

Recently, Google announced that it would be giving preferential treatment to websites that use CA (News - Alert) Certificates to determine search engine ranking results.

What is SSL?

SSL: Secure Sockets Layer, is a process by which a connection can be verified as authentic. It also encrypts information sent between a website and a Web browser so that it can't be read in so called 'man in the middle' attacks that are often used by hackers.

Most Web browsers display a padlock when you're viewing a site over SSL and the name of the page displayed in the URL address bar changes from beginning with http:// to https://.

The system is based on the use of SSL cert, which are either self-signed or CA certificates, which are issued by a trusted authority. Either way, the certificate itself forms part of the system of checks that a browser makes in order to make sure that the website is authentic and can be trusted.

Safety

Essentially SSL identifies a website or business to ensure that the end user is safe. It checks the authenticity of the website to inform the user that this website is safe and secure to use.  

The fact that an internet giant such as Google now recognizes the importance of the system and rewards website owners for using it demonstrates just how seriously the issues of security, trust and online safety need to be taken by everyone involved.