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Nothing turns potential customers away from a website faster than a label that reads not secure. Or worse, a screen with a large pop-up that warns, This website might not be secure. Protecting your website with a secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate is the easiest way to prevent this. SSL certificates ensure that the information coming to and from your website is secure.

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Namcheap SSL Certificate

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Around $5.99/Year (INR 499) onwards

Encryption Level

256-bit or 128-bit encryption

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On Namecheap's secure website

An SSL (secure sockets layer) certificate verifies the identity of a website and secures a connection between a web page and a web browser. If you run an e-commerce site and are asking people to input information such as their credit card number, or collect other sensitive information, an SSL certificate ensures that information transmitted to and from your website is encrypted.

Youll know that a website has an SSL certificate installed when HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) appears in front of a URL (i.e., https://www.forbes.com/advisor/). Many browsers help you determine if a website has an SSL certificate by displaying a small image of a lock by the URL.

On the other hand, if a website does not encrypt its data youll see a warning sign and the words not secure.

Related: Best Web Hosting Services

The short answer is yes. If you own a website, you should have an SSL certificate. If you are asking users to enter a login username and password, or are collecting private information such as credit card numbers, health data or financial accounts, you need an SSL certificate to ensure the transmission of this data is secure.

Many website owners choose to have an SSL certificate even if they are not collecting sensitive information (such as credit card numbers) because Googles algorithm rewards websites that have them. An SSL certificate also communicates to viewers that their sensitive information (such as credit cards and passwords) is protected on your website. These days, most websites have an SSL certificate.

Its relatively easy to get an SSL certificate and many of the best website builders and web hosting providers even offer them for free. Hosting providers such as GoDaddy and Bluehost offer the ability to buy an SSL directly on their website.

If your site doesnt already have one, you can also use a third-party certificate authority. To research some of the most reliable options with the best prices, read our list of the best SSL certificate services.

There are three different types of SSL certificates: domain validated (DV), organization validation (OV) and extended validation (EV). The one best suited for you will depend on your website and how much security you need.

DV SSL is best for personal project websites and is the least expensive option. It requires that the website owner verify that the domain is registered to the domain owner, which is done through the WHOIS database.

OV SSL is best for business or nonprofit websites, and requires a higher level of verification, so is therefore considered more secure. The SSL certificate issuer verifies the address and location of the owner.

EV SSL is best for e-commerce businesses and businesses exchanging financial data as it offers the most amount of protection. In addition, these certificates offer the highest monetary warranties to any website viewers affected by an SSL failure

If you click on the small image of a lock that appears next to any website with an SSL certificate, youll be able to view some key information about its SSL certificate. Youll see the name of the certificate holder, who it was issued by and the expiration date.

An SSL certificate also contains some details about the issuer of the certificate, a copy of the issuers public key and a digital signature of the certificate issuer.

Featured Partners

1

Namcheap SSL Certificate

Starting Price

Around $5.99/Year (INR 499) onwards

Encryption Level

256-bit or 128-bit encryption

Features

Activate in 4 easy steps and Top-Tier Support

On Namecheap's secure website

An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that encrypts online communication. When a visitor tries to access your website through their web browser, the SSL certificate signals to the browser that your website is secure.

Some website hosting providers offer free SSL certificates. While any SSL certificate is better than none, free SSL certificates typically offer the lowest security level (DV). Additionally, paid SSL certificates often offer a warranty to protect your site visitors against any potential SSL-related security threats, while free versions generally do not.

The price you pay for an SSL certificate will depend on the level of security you need (DV, OV or EV) and whether you need to certify one domain or many. In our list of the best SSL certificate services, prices range from INR 550 per year for DV SSL (for a five-year plan) to INR 18,000 per year (for a six-year plan) for OV SSL. If youre looking to pay per year, you can expect to pay between INR 4,000 and INR 20,000 per year for a DV SSL.

Read more:
What Is An SSL Certificate? Everything You Need To Know - Forbes