Cryptography & Transport
SSL Certificate
An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a digital credential that authenticates a website's identity and enables encrypted connections. It binds a cryptographic key to an organization's details, so browsers can verify you're talking to the real server. Modern SSL certificates actually use TLS (Transport Layer Security) under the hood, but the term "SSL" is still widely used colloquially. Certificates are issued by Certificate Authorities (CAs) and expire, typically after 1–2 years.
Official documentationWhy it matters for your website
- 1Affects your HTTPS rating and SSL grade on security scanners
- 2Required for PCI-DSS and SOC 2 compliance
- 3Browsers block insecure connections and show warnings to users