--- title: "What is an SSL certificate?" description: "An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that confirms the identity of a website and creates a secure connection. Learn more about SSL certificates and their..." canonical: "https://www.bajorat-media.com/en/faq/what-is-a-ssl-certificate/" locale: "en" collection: "faq" lastModified: "2023-07-06T13:00:08.000Z" image: "https://www.bajorat-media.com/assets/img/faq/was-ist-ein-ssl-zertifikat-titelbild.webp" --- # What is an SSL certificate? An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that confirms the identity of a website and creates a secure connection. Learn more about SSL certificates and their... ## What is an SSL certificate? A Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate is a digital certificate that confirms the identity of a website and establishes a secure connection between the web server and the visitor's browser. The main task of an SSL certificate is to encrypt the transmitted data to protect it from unauthorized access by third parties. How SSL certificates work When a web browser and a web server communicate, a so-called SSL handshake occurs. The SSL certificates of the browser and server are checked against each other. If the verification is successful, end-to-end encryption is established and data exchange can occur securely. Benefits of SSL Certificates Security: SSL certificates protect confidential information such as credit card numbers, passwords and personal information of customers from hackers and data thieves. Authentication: SSL certificates ensure that communication only takes place with the intended website and not with a fraudulent site masquerading as a legitimate website. Trust: A secure connection signals to visitors that their data is protected and increases trust in the website. Browsers display a lock icon and the "HTTPS" protocol in the address bar to make it clear that the website is encrypted. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): SSL certificates also help improve Google rankings as Google prefers more trustworthy websites. Types of SSL certificates There are different types of SSL certificates, which differ in the validation level and the number of domains secured. Domain Validated Certificates (DV): These certificates simply confirm that the owner of the domain is actually the applicant of the certificate. They offer basic encryption and are sufficient for small websites or blogs. Organization Validated Certificates (OV): OV certificates require additional verifications of the organization, such as company registration. This means they offer a higher level of trust than DV certificates. Extended Validation Certificates (EV): EV certificates go through an even more stringent validation process and display the organization name in the browser address bar. They are particularly suitable for e-commerce websites and companies that require a high level of confidence in the security of data. Wildcard certificates: Wildcard certificates secure a domain and all of its subdomains. They are convenient for companies and organizations with a complex web infrastructure. Multi-Domain Certificates (MDC): MDCs allow multiple domains to be secured under a single certificate, simplifying the management of SSL certificates for websites with multiple domains. A Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate is a digital certificate that confirms the identity of a website and establishes a secure connection between the web server and the visitor's browser. The main task of an [SSL certificate](/en/services/webhosting-and-wordpress-hosting/) is to encrypt the transmitted data to protect it from unauthorized access by third parties. ## How SSL certificates work When a web browser and a web server communicate, a so-called SSL handshake occurs. The SSL certificates of the browser and server are checked against each other. If the verification is successful, end-to-end encryption is established and data exchange can occur securely. ## Advantages of SSL certificates - **Security:** SSL certificates protect sensitive information such as credit card numbers, passwords and customers' personal information from hackers and data thieves. - **Authentication:** SSL certificates ensure that communication occurs only with the intended website and not with a fraudulent site masquerading as a legitimate website. - **Trust:** A secure connection signals to visitors that their data is protected and increases trust in the website. Browsers display a lock icon and the "HTTPS" protocol in the address bar to make it clear that the website is encrypted. - **[Search Engine Optimization](/en/services/search-engine-optimization-seo/) (SEO):** SSL certificates also help improve Google rankings as Google prefers more trustworthy websites. ### Types of SSL certificates There are different types of SSL certificates that differ in the validation level and the number of secured domains. - **Domain Validated Certificates (DV):** These certificates simply confirm that the owner of the domain is actually the applicant of the certificate. They offer basic encryption and are sufficient for small websites or blogs. - **Organization Validated Certificates (OV):** OV certificates require additional verifications from the organization, such as company registration. This means they offer a higher level of trust than DV certificates. - **Extended Validation Certificates (EV):** EV certificates go through an even more stringent validation process and display the organization name in the browser address bar. They are particularly suitable for e-commerce websites and companies that require a high level of confidence in the security of data. - **Wildcard certificates:** Wildcard certificates secure a domain and all of its subdomains. They are convenient for companies and organizations with a complex web infrastructure. - **Multi-Domain Certificates (MDC):** MDCs allow multiple domains to be secured under a single certificate, simplifying the management of SSL certificates for websites with multiple domains.