SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It is a standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a server and a client, for example a web server (website) and a browser(Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc); or a mail server and a mail client (e.g., Outlook).

An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate on the other hand is a digital certificate that authenticates the identity of a website and encrypts information sent to the server using SSL technology.

Encryption is the process of scrambling data into an undecipherable format that can only be returned to a readable format with the proper decryption key.

A certificate serves as an electronic “passport” that establishes an online entity’s credentials when doing business on the Web. When an Internet user attempts to send confidential information to a Web server, the user’s browser accesses the server’s digital certificate and establishes a secure connection.

An SSL certificate contains the following information:

• The certificate holder’s name
• The certificate’s serial number and expiration date
• A copy of the certificate holder’s public key
• The digital signature of the certificate-issuing authority

The way to know if the site you are browsing is secure, is by looking at browser’s address bar: you should see at a minimum that it starts with https and not the regular http. An Extended Validation SSL Certificate is the highest certificate available and in addition to the https in the address bar, it will be green with a padlock sign and the actual Company name and country. Such as what you see when you visit Pacosoft.com