You might see the term "SSL" used a lot when it comes to website security, but in reality, SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) has evolved over the years to what we now call TLS (Transport Layer Security). Both terms are often used interchangeably, but TLS is the modern version that encrypts data to protect it from prying eyes.

 

Why TLS Matters for Your Site

If you run an e-commerce business or any site that handles customer data, TLS/SSL is a must-have. It encrypts information sent between your server and the user's browser, keeping personal and payment data secure. Without this encryption, data is transmitted in plain text, making it vulnerable to hackers, especially on shared networks like coffee shop Wi-Fi.

 

Beyond security, having a TLS certificate on your website impacts your search engine ranking. Since 2018, Google has flagged sites without TLS as "Not Secure," potentially affecting user trust and SEO rankings. Many browsers will also block access to unprotected sites, further emphasizing the need for an SSL/TLS certificate.

 

How TLS Certificates Work

When a website has a TLS certificate, it essentially means that the connection between the site and the user’s browser is secure. A Certificate Authority (CA) verifies that the site owner has control over the domain, which is why you’ll see a padlock icon in your browser’s address bar for secured sites.

 

Certificates come in different types, with domain validation (DV) being the most common for basic websites. More complex sites may require organization validation (OV) or extended validation (EV), which involve deeper checks of the organization's legitimacy.

 

Affordable, Easy-to-Set-Up TLS Options

In the past, SSL certificates were expensive, but today options like Let’s Encrypt provide free, renewable certificates. Many hosting providers also offer built-in SSL/TLS options, making it a seamless process. There’s almost no excuse for not having one, especially as Google has made security a priority in ranking sites.