Privacy and SSL Summary
Security experts, from time and again, have emphasized the need to focus on existing and new technologies and to discuss them in a tangible manner. Even governments and corporates are fine with compromising few policies in the name of national security and protection. However, maintaining online privacy takes more than just policy adjustments.
Using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption when transmitting critical information (e.g., financial or payment services information) is one of the highest levels of security for data transmission.
Cyber Security – A Global Threat
The past decade has witnessed a major shift in the development and use of technology by countries and hackers. Cybersecurity is as big as national security for each world player. To make matters worse, the number of cybercrimes seems to increase with each passing year. So, how do countries put an end or at the least prevent major online crimes?
Experts are of the opinion that simple encryption to all Web traffic would be a good start.
By getting people to push SSL connections for every Internet service will make the job of the hackers much harder. This was not the case a few months back.
Though Internet users did understand the importance of SSL encryption, most of them, including leading corporates, really had or rather showed no interest to put encryption on their systems.
It was not until the recent Edward Snowden’s revelations that companies began to change their Internet security policies. Though this was primarily done to prevent the loss of customers, some actually did it because they felt it was the right thing. But there are still many websites that are not using SSL encryption when transmitting valuable data.
This means that loads of crucial information will be sent in the clear over the Web and capturing that data is quite simple for hackers.
Advocating SSL
The importance to use SSL encryption by default is advocated by principal technologists and security analysts for long now.? While browsing the Internet, you leave the breadcrumb trail. But if you visit a website whose address starts with “https,” your Web browser shows a padlock icon that indicates you are being guarded with SSL encryption. That stops hackers from learning about the pages you are reading on the website. Companies that look toward good Google ratings will take extra time to get better grades for encryption and information protection.
With allegations of National Security Agency (NSA) spying hitting headlines almost every day, the e-commerce industry has readily shifted to make SSL their default encryption technique. The importance to secure their customers’ privacy using SSL encryption has finally dawned on them.
Internet giants such as Google, Twitter, and Facebook have already switched to automatic SSL for the majority of their services. In fact, Google has offered to enhance the search rankings of websites using SSL.
SSL encryption has other privacy benefits too. Implementing HTTPS can prevent governments from censoring their citizens’ Web access via keyword filtering.
By doing simple things, it is possible to create an Internet where mass information collection becomes enormously difficult. Computer users, be it individuals, corporates, or governments, need to continue to push the use of SSL. Many Certificate authorities offer Free SSL Certificate so that you can test your new site’s SSL security certificate before it goes live.