What is an SSL certificate and why does my site need one?
On this page
An SSL certificate is the small file installed on your web server that encrypts the connection between visitors and your site. The browser shows a padlock icon and your URL starts with https:// instead of http://. Without it the browser flags your site as "Not secure" in big letters.
What encryption actually prevents
When data flows over plain http, anyone on the same network (a coffee-shop wifi, a malicious ISP, a corporate proxy) can read it. That includes login passwords, contact form submissions, credit card numbers and session cookies. SSL/TLS encrypts the entire conversation so even if someone intercepts the traffic, they get gibberish.
Three types of SSL certificate
- Domain Validated (DV) - proves you control the domain. Issued in minutes. Free via Let's Encrypt and AutoSSL on every Trinico Cloud hosting plan.
- Organisation Validated (OV) - proves the company exists and trades. The CA verifies your business registration. Takes 1 to 3 days. The browser bar shows your company name in the certificate details.
- Extended Validation (EV) - the most rigorous check. Used by banks and large e-commerce sites. Takes a week or so to issue.
Do you need a paid SSL?
For most websites, the free DV certificate from Let's Encrypt does exactly the same job as a paid DV - same encryption, same padlock. Choose paid SSL when you need OV/EV validation, when you want a warranty in the small print, or when your industry (banking, large e-commerce) expects it.
Hosting (free SSL included) See paid SSL certificates
Mixed content warnings
Once you install SSL, make sure your site loads everything over https - images, scripts, fonts. If a single image still loads over http, the browser shows a "mixed content" warning and the padlock disappears. Most CMS plugins fix this automatically; ours can do it for you on request.
