An SSL certificate is a digital signature for your website. It guarantees a secure connection between the server and the user's browser.
When it is used, information between the website and browser is transmitted in encrypted form and can only be decrypted using a special key that is part of the certificate.
Even if the site name is entered correctly in the browser, attackers can spoof it in whole or in part (for example, by intercepting traffic in public networks - subways, cafes or business centers). Thus fraudsters can gain access to customer data, place their banners or payment forms on your site.
SSL certificates exclude the possibility of such spoofing - by checking the certificate, the user can be sure that the domain is hosting the exact site that should be there, not a duplicate.
In addition, the https certificate allows the user to verify who the owner of the site is. This means that the user can verify that he/she is visiting the site of the desired organization and not the site of its duplicate.
Another important function of SSL certificates is encryption of your Internet connection. An encrypted connection is necessary to prevent possible theft of sensitive data during transmission on the Web.
You can actually install a free certificate, but it's more reasonable if you want to test a new site or save money at first. If you have a full-fledged business site, it is better to install a paid certificate: it will provide a high level of protection, compatibility with browsers, guaranteed solution against hacking, and will have full support.
There are several questions to answer when choosing a certificate:
1. How many domain names you want to protect: one or more.
2. What kind of service you want to protect:
a. if you protect financial data, it is better to use a certificate with extended validation,
b. to protect customer data in your online store, it is better to use certificates with organization and domain validation.
After the payment, the order for certificate issuance goes to the certificate authority for processing. Verification of submitted data may take some time (usually not more than two days).
Once the certificate has been issued, a notification will be sent to the email address specified during ordering, with a link to the personal account where the certificate can be obtained.
More frequently asked questions about SSL certificates are available here.