- April 29, 2024
Understanding What SSL Certificates Are
You may have seen the term “SSL certificates” and wondered what it means. The abbreviation stands for “Secure Socket Layer.” An SSL is an online entity that proves a file has been encrypted.
Files protected by an SSL can be viewed by the browser when an internet user is looking for its data. For an internet user to access the data that the SSL protects, the user must have the website’s privacy key.
The website data will remain protected by SSL unless the internet key is displayed.
It may help to understand an SSL if you can review its elements. The programming of an SSL contains a domain name, which is the name used to identify the website. Information will also identify the person or organization that owns the website. An SSL can only be issued by an online certificate authority. There will be an online “signature” included in the certificate.
Within the coding of SSL certificates will be a list of subdomains that are contained within the website. The certificate is considered legally valid as of the date that is coded as the issue date. There will also be an expiration date – typically one to two years from the issue date. The complicated nature of SSL certificates is necessary to protect the security of the protected domain.
