What is an SSL?

Why Do I Need an SSL for My Website? What is a Secure Socket Layer? Do most websites use an SSL? Should my MLM Software offer or provide an SSL?

What is an SSL? Why Do I Need an SSL for My Website?

In today’s technology age, I think we need to have a class or course on all the acronyms out there. What is an SSL? SSL is short for secure socket layer. Without getting too technical, it’s a 1024 bit encryption key that you purchase from a third party company that you put on your website so that when someone visits your site, the data that’s transmitted back and forth is encrypted and private.

HTTP vs HTTPS

You’ll notice that on sites with an SSL in the URL field of your browser, the address will begin with “https” rather than “http”. On Google’s Chrome, and some other browsers, there will even be a warning for pages that don’t have an SSL saying “Not Secure”.

Where Do You Get It and How Much?

Who sells an SSL certificate? The MLM Software company that you’re working with should be able to help you acquire one. Most hosting providers can also provide an SSL. Our company used GoDaddy to obtain our own SSL Certificates. They’re sold on an annual basis, in the $2-300 a year range.

What Does This Do, What’s the Benefit?

This is going to give your customers and distributors peace of mind that when they go to your site and submit their information or purchase products, it’s going to be done securely and that the information is protected and safe. It going to help prevent malicious hackers from accessing that information.

More than just the obvious benefits and protections, an SSL is required to secure your payment pages in order to maintain your PCI compliance and not jeopardize your merchant account.

And most recently, the big search engines like google have moved to rank websites using an SSL higher in search rankings.

If you’re running an MLM Website without an SSL you need to get on the phone with your Software Provider because you need to have that to protect your customers and distributors. If I can help answer your questions about your website or an SSL, please give me a call or send me an email!