What Is an SSL Certificate and Do You Need One?
What SSL and HTTPS do, the different certificate types and how to fix the “Not secure” warning.
If your address starts with https:// and shows a padlock, an SSL certificate is working. If a browser says “Not secure”, it is not.
What it does
An SSL (technically TLS) certificate does two jobs: it proves the site is who it says it is, and it encrypts data between the visitor and the server. Without it, passwords and form details can be read or changed on the way.
Do you need one?
Yes, every site does. Browsers warn on pages without HTTPS, search engines prefer secure sites and many features, such as location access and payment, require it.
Types of certificate
- Domain validated: proves control of the domain. Quick and right for most sites.
- Organisation validated: also verifies the business. Useful for stores and companies.
- Wildcard: covers all subdomains of a domain.
- Multi-domain: covers several different domains.
Fixing “Not secure”
- Install a certificate for your domain and www.
- Redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS.
- Update links, images and scripts that still load over HTTP (mixed content).
- Renew before expiry, ideally automatically.
Keep it alive
Certificates expire. Automatic renewal and monitoring prevent the embarrassing day a site shows a full-page warning.
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