SSL Certificates include:

• The domain name that the certificate was issued for
• Which person, organization, or device it was issued to
• Which certificate authority issued it
• The certificate authority's digital signature
• Associated subdomains
• Issue date of the certificate
• Expiration date of the certificate
• The public key (the private key is kept secret)

SSL Protects Data: The core function of an SSL certificate is to protect server-client communication. On installing SSL, every bit of information is encrypted. In layman’s terms, the data is locked and can only be unlocked by the intended recipient (browser or server) as no one else can have the key to open it. While dealing with sensitive data such as IDs, passwords, credit card numbers, etc., SSL helps you protect against the mischievous army of hackers and skimmers. As the data is turned into the undecipherable format by SSL, hacker’s skills prove to be an edgeless sword against the unsurpassable encryption technology of SSL certificates.

SSL Affirms Your Identity: The second primary task of an SSL certificate is to provide authentication to a website. Identity verification is one of the most important aspects as far as web security is concerned. There is no doubt about the fact that the internet is increasingly deceptive. In 2009, a guy traveled 400 miles to meet a girl he had met on Facebook, only to discover that he was being duped by two guys who supported a rival football club. However, not all such stories are funny. There have been cases in which people have lost thousands of dollars on fake websites. This is where SSL certificate comes into play.

When you want to install an SSL certificate, you must go through a validation process set by an independent third party called a Certificate Authority (CA). Depending on the type of certificate, the CA verifies the identity of you and your organization. Once you have proved your identity, your website gets trust indicators vouching for your integrity. When users see them, they know who they’re talking to.

Better Search Engine Ranking: In 2014, Google made changes to its algorithm in order to give the upper hand to HTTPS-enabled websites. This has been evident in various studies conducted by SEO experts around the world. One such study conducted by Brian Dean, founder of Backlinko.com shows a strong correlation between HTTPS and higher search engine rankings.

SSL Helps You Satisfy PCI/DSS Requirements: If you accept online payments, you must know a thing or two about PCI/DSS requirements. To receive online payments, your website must be PCI compliant. Having an SSL certificate installed is one of the 12 primary requirements set by the payment card industry (PCI).

SSL Improves Customer Trust: If it were up to us, we’d have renamed SSL (Secure Socket Layer) to TTL (Trust Transmitting Layer). Fortunately, it isn’t. But that won’t stop us from singing the praises of a TTL —err, SSL certificate. Apart from encryption and authentication, SSL certificates are vital from a customer trust point of view. The easy to identify signs inform the users that the data they send will be secured. And if you’ve installed an OV or EV SSL, they can see your organization’s details. Once they know that you’re a legitimate entity, they’re far more likely to do business with you or even revisit your site.

Misuse of data: If you do not have an SSL certificate on your website, then all the confidential information on your site might be accessed by hackers. This may lead to leakage of personal data of your customers, including payment details which may be compromised. These days, hackers can easily recognize vulnerable sites and cause disruptions which can be catastrophic for your business.

Downranking of websites: Google has been working consistently over the years to encourage SSL encryption and in 2017, released Chrome 68 update for identifying unsecured sites. Secured websites may be identified using a green padlock before the URL. It prevents any third party from accessing traffic that may be passed between your web server and the browser.

In the absence of an SSL certificate, your website may be marked as insecure by Google and rated as not trustworthy because of which it might lose its rankings on the SERP.

MITM attacks: MITM or Man in the Middle is a kind of attack where an attacker creates interference between two ends (server and browser). The attacker secretly alters the communication so that it can result in losses. Without an SSL certificate, all the communication traveling from the webserver to the client is accessible, which makes it easy for intruders to target such type of unsecured communication.

Loss of customers’ trust: Websites that have HTTPS are regarded to be more credible by the customers. They may switch over to your competitors’ sites if your website doesn’t fit into the above criteria. Customers are more aware of security measures these days and trust websites that are protected by SSL certificate. If your website doesn’t display a secure HTTPS padlock, there is a high possibility of losing your valuable customers.

Harms your brand reputation: If your website data is leaked or security is compromised by not having SSL certificates, then it may hurt your brand image. Especially if your brand is established and the credibility is lost due to an insecure site, then it is tough to rebuild the image and your products may lose visibility in the market. You will have lower conversions on your website due to an insecure website.

Display of warnings by search engines: Search engines such as Google issue warnings to the users who might be visiting a site which does not have an SSL certificate. They might see warnings alerting them that their connection is not private. With Google updates in 2018, instead of viewing HTTP as a standard for websites, Google Chrome relies on HTTPS as default and displays non-secure sites after displaying warnings to its users.

SSL certificate can improve customer engagement and boost your reputation in the market. If you haven’t installed an SSL certificate on your website, it’s time to consider buying one. It helps in winning over your customers and building your brand loyalty.

The choice is entirely yours, whether you are prepared to lose out or succeed in your business by taking necessary precautions to ensure maximum website security for your business and your users.