SSL Certificate / Development Terms SSL Certificate SSL Certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates a website’s identity and enables a secure, encrypted connection between a web server and a browser. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, a technology that protects sensitive data such as login credentials, credit card numbers and personal information during online transactions. Although newer protocols like TLS (Transport Layer Security) have replaced SSL in practice, the term “SSL certificate” is still widely used. When a website has an active SSL certificate, it uses the HTTPS protocol instead of HTTP. The “S” in HTTPS stands for “secure,” and it signals to users that the site is encrypted and trustworthy. Most modern browsers display a padlock icon in the address bar to indicate that the connection is secure. Without an SSL certificate, visitors may see a warning that the site is not secure, which can damage credibility and discourage engagement. This is especially critical for ecommerce sites, donation pages and any platform that collects user data. SSL certificates are issued by trusted Certificate Authorities (CAs) and come in different levels of validation, including domain validation (DV), organization validation (OV) and extended validation (EV). Each level provides a different amount of verification and trust, depending on the use case. Installing and maintaining an SSL certificate is a basic but essential step in website security and digital trust-building. It also supports search engine optimization, since Google and other search engines give ranking preference to secure sites. Whether you are running a small blog or managing an enterprise platform, an SSL certificate helps protect your users and your brand.