SSL certificate: What it is and why your website needs one

In 2025, organizations faced an average of 1,925 cyberattacks weekly, with websites being frequent targets, highlighting the importance of SSL certificates in securing online interactions. An SSL certificate is a digital document that uses a cryptographic key pair to authenticate and secure connections between a web server and a browser, signified by the "https://" in a URL. SSL certificates, now using the more secure TLS protocol, encrypt data exchanges to protect sensitive information, preventing cybersecurity threats like domain spoofing and DNS hijacking. The history of SSL dates back to the 1990s, when it was developed to secure early e-commerce transactions, but due to vulnerabilities in SSL versions 2.0 and 3.0, it was replaced by TLS. Certificate Authorities (CAs) issue SSL certificates after validating domain ownership and, if applicable, business details, enabling secure data exchanges signified by a padlock icon in the browser's address bar. The process of obtaining an SSL certificate involves generating a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) and installing the issued certificate on a hosting server, with many platforms simplifying or automating this process for website owners.