Debunking 7 Misconceptions About HTTPS and SSL Certificates

The need for SSL/TLS Certificate is a Reality, not a Myth

SSL and HTTPS certificates are ubiquitous amongst certain types of websites, particularly in industry websites and certainly amongst users who share information with the site itself. If you browse the internet and look at the sites that you use on a daily basis, you might have noticed how often they are used. However, for less ‘legitimate’ or mainstream sites there are reasons why some people might not use these but might look elsewhere. If you are thinking about digitalizing your business or getting online for any other reason at all, having an understanding of these SSL/TLS certificates and what having a secure page could mean to you is very important. So, without further ado, here are seven myths about HTTPS AND SSL that should be discounted.

1. SSL Certificates Are Going to Cost You A Lot

In general, the websites which are highly secured are the ones where the companies or individuals behind them are investing in the security, usually in return for the money that they make off whatever product that they are selling through their site. It isn’t to say that SSL certificates are going to cost you a lot of money. Securing your site can be expensive, but it’ll only be costly if you haven’t shopped around for a better deal. Make sure you’re getting a fair deal from whomsoever you purchase whether it’s your host server or SSL Certificate providers doesn’t matter.

2. SSL Will Kill Your Page Speed

Historically, using an HTTP means using something which has been around on the internet since 1991. In the early iterations of this sort of secure connection would affect website performance in a noticeable and potentially problematic way. When you see HTTPS in a modern-day sense, it is referring to a much more updated version of the 28-year-old phenomenon. In this newly updated format, HTTP has been optimized, in part for performance. Gone are the days where everyone has to worry about securing the site can affect performance. To be technically accurate, there are a few minute delays which can happen sometimes, but the majority of times it differs only for few milliseconds, so don’t skimp on security for the sake of performance.

3. Only Pages with Login Boxes Need HTTPS

It’s outright wrong, though there are vulnerabilities at the point when a user is entering his or her login details, as the act of logging to the website can be replicated by a hostile individual to access things like credit card details. However, websites contain vulnerabilities at every point on the page. Moreover, the initial vulnerabilities during the login stage are not eradicated by moving into the site itself, since you remain logged in for the duration of your website usage. HTTPS has to be utilized throughout your site to maintain real security.

4. SSL Certificates Are All the Encryption You Need

Having a secure connection is not the same as having a secured site. Websites are still vulnerable to attacks via the web server, the hosting mechanism for the site. The SSL certificate ensures that data is secure in transit, as it moves from place to place and should give you peace of mind within those parameters. However, you shouldn’t invest in SSL and think to yourself that the job is done. So much rides on the hosting that you invest in as well. So, think about your website security as a whole to get the best results.

5. eCommerce Is the Only Place For SSL

eCommerce websites, by their very nature, involves a lot of risks. It’s not hard to see why this is the case, as it does deal with a large amount of risky & personal information, especially the financial ones such as credit card number or bank details. It would make total sense for an eCommerce site, to look for the defensive security to stop hostile threats which can compromise the site.

Additionally, if your business mostly relies on your customer’s satisfaction with their online experience, then you’ve got more than a compelling reason to invest in top-notch security. However, eCommerce sites are the only ones who need SSL connection certificates is not right as threats are always there, regardless of the nature of the site. Again, increasingly well-informed users, will less likely to take your site seriously if SSL is not installed. Moreover, a lot of search engines, who are themselves trying to offer their users the safest experience possible, will damage your rankings or even remove you altogether if there’s no proof of secure connections.

6. SSL Doesn’t Help My Performance

As touched on above, search engines, who entirely dictate the bulk of your clickthrough statistics, are against unsecured sites. It makes sense when you think about what motivates search engines. They’re motivated to help their customers to find the best possible results for their search, the most accurate and the safest. Users too, who are learning more and more about the dangers of the internet, will be highly skeptical without proof that they are protected by your site. So not having SSL might damage your numbers.

7. It’s Too Complex

For the average user, the idea of connection security and page encryption can sound threatening and complex. Compared to how advanced the internet is, there are a considerable number of horribly ill-informed people, many of whom who own websites. That being said, if you’ve made it this far even in this article, then you already have a huge amount of knowledge about the benefits of SSL and HTTPS. So, don’t panic, it’s perfectly graspable, just do your research.

Conclusion

HTTPS and SSL certificates are vital in the modern understanding of the internet and everything it can accomplish. Sadly, it is a misunderstood element of webpage ownership and it can trip up ill-informed laymen who haven’t looked into why it matters. Hopefully, these debunked myths will help you get your site secured.