Today safe browsing on the net is an essential factor to avoid fraud, data theft and scams, but how do you know if the website where you browse or enter information is safe? One way is to verify that you have the SSL certificate. Here we will teach you what the SSL certificate is, how to see the SSL certificate in the Google Chrome browser and what is its importance.
What is SSL certificate?
Before knowing why it is necessary to search for a website’s SSL certificate, let’s start by understanding what it is and what it is for. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer or secure connection layers, also known as a digital certificate, it is a proof that guarantees privacy and security on a website.
The SSL certificate, as well as the TLS and HTTPS protocols, is one of the global standards to protect connections between servers and browsers used by users. Basically, the SSL certificate offers the user a guarantee that the data exchanged between the website and the browser is encrypted.
In addition, the SSL certificate allows the website to be identified and authenticated so that users can know that they are not entering a fake page. In this way, you can be sure that your bank details, personal or of any other nature, cannot be decrypted or intercepted by third parties.
How to view the SSL certificate in Google Chrome
Currently, most browsers offer SSL browsing support where users can easily check whether a website has a digital certificate or not. In the Google Chrome browser, you may sometimes get a warning message telling you that a web page is not secure.
However, if you want to be sure that the website you are entering is secure, we encourage you, before sharing data on it, to see if it has an SSL certificate. Here we will explain two ways to do it, step by step.
in the address bar
In the latest versions of the Google Chrome browser, the easiest way to see the SSL certificate of any web page is by using the icon next to the address bar. Follow the steps that we indicate to visualize it easily.
- Enter the URL of the site you want to check into the address bar and press “Enter.”
- Click the padlock button next to the URL, a tab will open with a summary indicating whether the connection to the website is secure.
- To see the details, click on the “Certificate” option and you will see a window with more information about the digital certificate.
Using the developer tools
Another way to view the SSL certificate of a web page in Google Chrome is by using the developer tools panel. Although this panel is for more advanced users, in a few steps you can verify the security information of any website.
- Go to the website you want to see the SSL certificate for.
- Click the Google Chrome controls button (the 3 vertical dots) at the top right of the window.
- Select the “More Tools” option and then “Developer Tools.”
- In the panel that will open on the right side of the screen, select the “Security” tab and you will be able to see if the page has a valid certificate. Also, you can click “View Certificate” to learn more details.
How important is SSL verification on a website?
Knowing if a website has a valid digital certificate is a way to prevent our personal data from being compromised or used for theft and fraud. This is of great importance especially when using banking websites, online shopping and other pages where personal data must be provided. You can be confident that your data is treated with maximum security.
On the other hand, you are the owner of a website, perhaps using WordPress, it is important that you know how to install and activate the SSL security certificate on your website. In this way, your page or blog will have much more visits and will have greater acceptance by users.
