SSL Certificate

An SSL certificate is a digital file issued to a website that does two things: it enables the encrypted HTTPS ✕ HTTPS is the encrypted version of the web protocol HTTP. The "S" stands for "Secure" and means the connection to the website is protected with TLS. More in the glossary → connection and confirms the operator's identity to the browser ✕ A browser is the program you use to open websites and surf the internet — such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. More in the glossary → . Certificates are issued by trusted certificate authorities; many hosts now offer them for free (e.g., via Let's Encrypt) and set them up automatically. Without a valid certificate, browsers warn that the site is "not secure," which scares visitors away. For any serious website it's essential. See which hosts include it in the best web hosting comparison.