Does Godaddy WordPress Hosting Include SSL?
You may be wondering whether or not to purchase SSL certificate support for your website, blog, or other online presence. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, and it is a way to provide an extra layer of security and encryption for your electronic communications.
While it is true that SSL certificates can be purchased for your domain names, that is not the only option you have. You can also use free SSL providers offered by WordPress and other content management systems. In this guide, we will discuss the benefits of using free SSL certificates as well as provide you with some best practices for securing your site.
Why Should You Use Free SSL Certificates Instead Of Purchasing Your Own?
If you decide to go with a free SSL option, you can rest assured that your privacy and security are not at risk. When you use a free SSL provider, the certificate will be issued for the specific domain and will not be tied to any other site. This also means that you can use the same certificate for different domains without any issues.
As a result of using a free SSL certificate, you also reduce the possibility of your web host getting “pinched” by a hacker. When a pinching attack happens, the attacker captures the SSL certificate for the website, which they then use to create their own fake site that looks just like the original. This means that although you might be hosting the website with a reputable web host, you are not completely safe. A free SSL provider will not issue certificates for other sites, so if you ever notice a pinching attack, you will know exactly who is at fault.
In addition, free SSL certificates provide you with additional privacy and security settings. For instance, you can encrypt your outgoing email messages or store all of your website’s transaction records in the database without anyone else being able to read them. Many web hosting companies that provide free SSL certificates also provide additional tools to make your experience as seamless and convenient as possible. For example, they might offer free malware scanning for your website or email, or they can provide you with a free SSL certificate that is issued by a trusted security company. By using these types of free SSL providers, you can rest assured that your website is being stored in a safe and secure environment.
How Do I Install And Use A Free SSL Certificate?
Installing a free SSL certificate is very easy. Begin by registering for a free domain name with a reputable web host like GoDaddy.com or Bluehost. After you have registered your domain, you can install the WordPress blogging software to launch your personal or business website. When you get the WordPress dashboard, click on the icon that looks like a key and then click on the Tools button. From there, you can install the free SSL/TLS cert.
If you register for a free domain name with Bluehost, they will also setup the SSL cert for you. Once you have installed WordPress, you can simply go to Settings >> Security and toggle the “https” option to “on”. If you use a free SSL provider, then doing this will automatically encrypt your website’s database connections and any communications sent through email.
As stated above, not all free SSL providers are created equal. Some are very good at offering top-notch security and privacy, and some are simply trying to make a quick profit off of you by selling you a cheap SSL cert that they hope you will not bother to investigate. As a result, it is important that you do your research before purchasing an SSL certificate from anyone. Make sure that the company you plan on doing business with offers both a free and a paid option for their SSL services or that they at least offer a good review on reputable review sites like Google and Amazon. With a little bit of research, you can be sure that you are not getting conned.
In the event of a data breach, it is very important that you can directly trace the incident to a specific website. This means that you can contact the owners of that website and notify them that their information has been compromised. A free SSL certificate will not protect your personal information if a hacker gains access to your database through a different means. For example, if they obtain your password through social engineering or brute force, they will still have access to all of your personal information.
What Is Social Engineering And How Is It Different FromBrute Force?
Social engineering is the process of manipulating people into doing your bidding. This could include hacking into your email account and creating fake accounts to send spam to or even tricking login information out of real users. While it may seem difficult to find a legitimate use for social engineering, this type of attack can be extremely useful when seeking to obtain sensitive information like usernames and passwords. It is also not unusual for hackers to use social engineering as a first step towards a broader attack on a computer system. In these cases, they may attack the database that the website is hosted on or break into individual account emails to obtain the information they need.
Brute force is the traditional way of attempting to guess a user’s password. This involves trying possible passwords until the right one is found. While this may be effective for some, it is not the most efficient way of obtaining authentication data. Instead, you should be using a proper password manager like 1Password or LastPass to generate and store passwords with the optimal number of characters and a mixture of upper and lower case letters. These types of password managers can be programmed to automatically fill out login forms for you and make brute force much more difficult. Furthermore, proper encryption of any sensitive data stored on your PC or mobile device prevents these types of attacks as well. This is why you should always use strong, unique passwords for your accounts and ensure that you are not using any easily guessed passwords. In case you do forget your password, these password managers also make recovering it much simpler. If you use the same username and password for multiple accounts, you may become vulnerable to a password-stealing attack. In these cases, you should create a new password for each account that you create and periodically change all of your passwords to be on the safe side.
Secure Sockets Layer(SSL) Is Outdated. What Is The Newest And Safest Way To Protect My Privacy?
To follow the “traditional” security practices introduced in the 90s, you should not use SSL at all. In today’s world, using SSL just to secure your connection is a thing of the past, and you should definitely not do it for the following reasons:
- SSL is vulnerable to a MITM attack, which allows someone to intercept and modify your traffic before it is encrypted.
- All data that is transmitted unencrypted is at risk of being compromised by a third party.
- If you are storing any personal or financial information on your computer, you should always use a strong, unique password and encrypting that information with a password manager like 1Password or LastPass.
- If you are planning to use a free or shared SSL provider, make sure that you research the company and read both good and bad reviews before doing business with them.
- Use the “HTTPS” protocol before any online transactions, including purchases, to secure your connection to a website.
- When purchasing a VPN to secure your Internet connection, make sure that you read the reviews first and select a reputable provider.
- If you already use a VPN, make sure you update your device to the latest version to ensure that no vulnerabilities are present.
Why Should You Update Your Devices And Software In Case Of Vulnerabilities?
One of the main reasons why you should update your devices and software in case of vulnerabilities is that they often contain “patched” holes that allow hackers to access your information. In many cases, these holes can be remotely exploited if proper precautions are not taken. For instance, the OpenSSL Project discovered a vulnerability in December 2015 that they labeled “Heartbleed”. This is a type of attack that allows hackers to potentially steal your passwords along with personal information like email addresses and phone numbers. Fortunately, this particular vulnerability was patched in March 2016. However, if you use an older version of OpenSSL, this vulnerability can still be used to compromise your system.
Another critical issue that you should be aware of is the fact that many of today’s devices and software are vulnerable to “man in the middle” attacks. A man in the middle attack occurs when a third party “hacks” into your device or software and replaces all of the SSL/TLS traffic with their own malicious server. As a result, all of the data that is transmitted between your computer and the destination website is no longer protected. This is why you should always use a VPN when accessing sensitive data online especially if you are using an unpatched device that is more than a few years old. In most cases, these types of attacks can be prevented by keeping your device updated and running the latest version of the operating system.