SSL Certificate And SiteLock Security: Which One Do You Need?
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<article id="post-4211" class="post-4211 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-ssl-certificate category-website-security tag-ssl-certificate-and-sitelock tag-ssl-vs-sitelock entry" morss_own_score="8.7211093990755" morss_score="16.39906994933389"> <p><span><a href="https://certera.com/blog/">Home</a> » <span>SSL Certificate And SiteLock Security: Which One Do You Need?</span></span></p> <h1>SSL Certificate And SiteLock Security: Which One Do You Need?</h1> <div><img decoding="async" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2012%2012'%3E%3C/svg%3E" title="1 Star"><img decoding="async" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2012%2012'%3E%3C/svg%3E" title="2 Stars"><img decoding="async" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2012%2012'%3E%3C/svg%3E" title="3 Stars"><img decoding="async" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2012%2012'%3E%3C/svg%3E" title="4 Stars"><img decoding="async" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2012%2012'%3E%3C/svg%3E" title="5 Stars"><strong>1</strong> votes, average: <strong>5.00</strong> out of 5)</div> <p><img decoding="async" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2016%2016'%3E%3C/svg%3E"> </p><div class="code-block code-block-13" style="margin: 8px 0; clear: both;"> <style> .ai-rotate {position: relative;} .ai-rotate-hidden {visibility: hidden;} .ai-rotate-hidden-2 {position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;} .ai-list-data, .ai-ip-data, .ai-filter-check, .ai-fallback, .ai-list-block, .ai-list-block-ip, .ai-list-block-filter {visibility: hidden; position: absolute; width: 50%; height: 1px; top: -1000px; z-index: -9999; margin: 0px!important;} .ai-list-data, .ai-ip-data, .ai-filter-check, .ai-fallback {min-width: 1px;} </style> <div class="ai-rotate ai-unprocessed ai-timed-rotation ai-13-1" data-info="WyIxMy0xIiwxXQ==" style="position: relative;"> <div class="ai-rotate-option" style="visibility: hidden;" data-index="1" data-name="U2hvcnQ=" data-time="MTA="> <div class="custom-ad"> <div style="margin: auto; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.techstrongevents.com/cruisecon-virtual-west-2025/home?ref=in-article-ad-2&utm_source=sb&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=in-article-ad-2" target="_blank"><img src="https://securityboulevard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Banner-770x330-social-1.png" alt="Cruise Con 2025"></a></div> <div class="clear-custom-ad"></div> </div></div> </div> </div> <figure> <img decoding="async" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20960%20620'%3E%3C/svg%3E"></figure> <div class="entry-content" morss_own_score="5.265012009607686" morss_score="243.8530969805635"> <h2>What is an SSL Certificate?</h2> <p>An SSL certificate is a digital file that verifies a website’s identity and establishes an encrypted connection between the server and a web browser.</p> <p>An <a href="https://certera.com/cheap-ssl-certificates">SSL certificate</a> allows for the safe transmission of sensitive data, including usernames and passwords, payment information, or personal details, by encrypting it via cryptographic protocols such as the <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-is-ssl-tls-https/">Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol</a>.</p> <p>When a site incorporates an SSL certificate, visitors to the site will see a padlock icon displayed in their browser, indicating that the connection can be trusted and is secure.</p> <p>In addition to protecting sensitive information being communicated back and forth, SSL certificates provide trust between businesses and their customers. They verify that a website is affiliated with the organization it claims to represent, preventing the likelihood of impersonation and fraud.</p> <p>This type of authentication builds trustworthiness, secures the connection against cyberattacks, especially <a href="https://certera.com/blog/man-in-the-middle-mitm-attacks-how-to-detect-and-prevent-it/">man-in-the-middle (MITM),</a> and is required to meet regulatory compliance in the finance, healthcare, and e-commerce industries.</p> <p>In today’s digital economy, SSL certificates are no longer optional components to site safety but an <a href="https://certera.com/blog/ssl-a-must-have-security-measure-for-websites-seo/">essential layer of security</a>.</p> <h2>Working Of SSL Certificates</h2> <p>If a user visits a site with a URL that starts with HTTPS or clicks on a secure link, the browser will tell the website’s server its request to establish a secure connection. This is the beginning of what is called the <a href="https://certera.com/blog/ssl-tls-handshake-a-crucial-step-towards-secure-connections/">SSL/TLS handshake</a>, or how we create a secure connection for encrypted communications.</p> <p>The server then sends a copy of its SSL certificate to the browser. The SSL certificate contains certain important information about the website, such as the website’s domain name, organization, issuing Certificate Authority (CA), validity period, and public key.</p> <p>The browser will then check to determine if the SSL certificate is valid and trustworthy.<strong> It will determine:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Whether or not the SSL certificate was issued by a <a href="https://certera.com/ssl">trusted CA</a></li> <li>If the SSL certificate was within the validity period</li> <li>Whether or not the SSL certificate is listed for the domain name</li> <li>If any of these items do not pass, the browser will indicate a warning to the user.</li> </ul> <p>Next, once it has successfully validated the certificate, the browser will generate a session key (<a href="https://certera.com/blog/symmetric-vs-asymmetric-encryption-detailed-guide/">symmetric encryption key</a>) that is unique. The session key is then used to encrypt and decrypt the actual data that is being exchanged between the browser and the server.</p> <p> The browser encrypts this session key using the server’s public key (the public key is contained in the SSL certificate). As the server is the only party with the relevant private key, only the intended server will be able to decode the session key.</p> <h3>Step 6: Server Decrypts the Session Key</h3> <p> The server receives the encrypted session key and decrypts it using the private key. Now, both the browser and server have the same secret session key for the encrypted communications.</p> <p> With the session key in place, both the browser and server switch to symmetric encryption, which is faster, for encrypted and secure transfers of data. All communication, such as login details, payment information, personal details, etc., is encrypted and secure from hackers in a manner that preserves confidentiality and trust.</p> <h2>Benefits Of Having an SSL Certificate</h2> <h3>Data Encryption and Security</h3> <p>An SSL certificate encrypts all information exchanged between a user’s browser going to and from a web server, safeguarding sensitive credentials, credit card information, and private data from being monitored, let alone captured or stolen.</p> <p>Once data is sent, SSL encrypts the information in a secure, unreadable, and unusable format in transit so that if a cybercriminal were to intercept the transmission, it would remain unused and unreadable.</p> <p><strong>Also Read:</strong> <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-is-https-why-its-important-for-website-and-seo/">What is HTTPS? Why it’s Important for Website and SEO</a></p> <p>This high-level encryption creates a secure online environment while helping stop data breaches, fraud, or identity theft.</p> <p>For businesses that manage sensitive customer information, SSL is a significant part of the cybersecurity plan to ensure their clientele with safe and secure interactions with their business while online.</p> <h3>Builds Trust and Credibility</h3> <p> SSL certificates offer visible indicators of trust, such as the padlock icon and HTTPS in the browser address bar. These indicators help reassure visitors that the website is valid and secure.</p> <p><strong>Also Read</strong>: <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-is-ssl-and-cdn-how-cdns-improve-ssl-tls-performance/">What is SSL and CDN? How CDNs Improve SSL / TLS Performance?</a></p> <p>For businesses focused on e-commerce, banking, and healthcare, trust and credibility are critical. A secure website ensures visitors feel confident and safe sharing personal or financial information that is required during an online transaction.</p> <p>In contrast, websites that remain unsecured come off as untrustworthy. Browsers may display security warnings when people visit an unsecured site.</p> <p>When trust is established through the use of an SSL, the user will have increased confidence in the website, the business will have improved credibility and reputation, and conversion rates and customer retention will improve as well.</p> <h3>Improves Search Engine Rankings</h3> <p>Search engines (typically Google) favor secure sites. Any website utilizing agricultural supply chain management will be given a boost in ratings over an unsecured state and be much more visible to people searching for products and services relevant to business management.</p> <p><strong>Also Read:</strong> <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-is-https-why-its-important-for-website-and-seo/">What is HTTPS? Why it’s Important for Website and SEO</a></p> <p>SEO, in this case, is a competitive advantage that will generate organic traffic, visibility to the business brand, and to outside engagement.</p> <p>In addition, Google flags any unsecured site as “Not Secure,” which will deter visitors from clicking on the unsecured site and will once again lower click rates.</p> <p>When using an SSL, businesses can not only ensure/protection of users but also have a better overall digital presence. Secure sites will normally perform better because Google favors SSL sites toward the top of search engine rankings.</p> <h3>Compliance with Regulations</h3> <p>Many businesses and industries have requirements for websites to use encryption to comply with data protection regulations such as <a href="https://certera.com/blog/pci-dss-4-0-compliance-everything-to-know-about-new-compliance-checklist/">PCI DSS</a>, GDPR, and HIPAA. An SSL Certificate enables websites to encrypt sensitive data and handle that data in compliance with legally acceptable ways.</p> <p>Compliance reduces any legal and financial risk, protects customer data, and minimizes the risks of fines associated with mishandling sensitive data.</p> <p>For any business that handles payments, health information, or any other personal information, SSL is not a matter of choice, but a matter of requirement.</p> <p>Organizations can allay fears related to data privacy and compliance while they use SSL, which minimizes business and personal risk for the organization and its customers, if they later become liable for the business’s lack of data privacy and compliance.</p> <h2>What is SiteLock?</h2> <p>SiteLock is a cloud-based website security solution that keeps websites safe from cyber attacks, viruses, malware, DDoS attacks, vulnerabilities, or data breaches.</p> <p>The first part of the <a href="https://certera.com/sitelock">SiteLock solution</a> consists of proactively scanning your websites for malicious code, identifying suspicious activity, and exposing vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit.</p> <p><strong>Also Read:</strong> <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-is-sitelock-role-of-sitelock-in-website-security/">What is SiteLock? Role of SiteLock in Website Security</a></p> <p>The SiteLock service offers daily malware scanning, patches vulnerabilities, blacklists monitoring, etc., so that a business can maintain a secure online presence without constant manual maintenance.</p> <p>Apart from threat detection, SiteLock provides both preventive and corrective measures for uninterrupted protection. It can <a href="https://certera.com/services/malware-scanning-removal">automatically remove malware</a>, <a href="https://certera.com/services/vulnerability-scanning-patching">protect against vulnerabilitie</a>s like SQL injections and cross-site scripting (XSS), and offer a <a href="https://certera.com/services/web-application-firewall-waf">web application firewall (WAF)</a> to block harmful traffic.</p> <p>SiteLock even includes performance optimization and reputation management features to help not only protect the website, but also create user trust and enhance search visibility.</p> <p>This makes it a valuable all-in-one solution for businesses that want to secure a website and have their customers feel confident about their visit. </p> <h2>How SiteLock Security Works?</h2> <p>SiteLock initiates the process by scanning the website every day for vulnerabilities, <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-is-malware-how-to-prevent-malware-attacks/">malware</a>, suspicious code, and security holes. SiteLock scans for threats like SQL Injections, XSS, and backdoors that a hacker might exploit. </p> <p> If malware is detected, SiteLock removes it automatically or alerts the website administrator so that an action can be taken quickly. It prevents malware code from compromising site visitors’ security, from damaging search visibility, or from being blacklisted. </p> <p>SiteLock utilizes a <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-is-web-application-firewall-waf/">Web Application Firewall (WAF)</a> to block malicious traffic targeting your site. It will block bots, hackers, and DDoS attacks before they reach your site while allowing real users access without any inconvenience. </p> <p>SiteLock shields your website from attack by <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-is-vulnerability-management-process-assessment-and-best-practices/">patching vulnerabilitie</a>s through the repair of weak code and outdated scripts. This minimizes the risk of future cyberattacks while remaining compliant with security best practices.</p> <p>SiteLock monitors your website for suspicious activity on an ongoing basis. Once the website experiences unusual behavior, potential hacking attempts, or checking for certificate issues, the system will immediately alert site administrators of <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-are-hidden-website-threats-how-to-detect-and-prevent-hidden-threats/">potential threats and weaknesses</a>.</p> <p>Finally, SiteLock will display a trust seal badge on your site. This badge signifies to visitors that the site is secured, thereby building trust with customers, improving conversion rates, and establishing an improved online reputation overall. </p> <h2>Benefits Of Having SiteLock Security</h2> <h3>Protection From Malware and Hacks</h3> <p>SiteLock runs continuous scans on websites for malware, vulnerabilities, and suspicious code to <a href="https://certera.com/blog/types-of-cyber-security-attacks-and-solution-to-prevent-them/">protect websites from cyber attacks</a>.</p> <p>It can detect many types of attacks, such as, SQL injections, cross-site scripting (XSS), backdoors, and ransomware that could steal data or disrupt website operations.</p> <p><strong>Also Read:</strong> <a href="https://certera.com/blog/rdos-attacks-explained-protecting-your-business-from-ransom-threats/">RDoS Attacks Explained: Protecting Your Business from Ransom Threats</a></p> <p>They can even proactively remove malware and potential hacks to ensure that unauthorized access is blocked and traffic to their website is protected.</p> <p>For businesses engaging with customers and exchanging sensitive customer information, siteLock provides security and learning from malware and cyber attacks to ensure a safe experience for visitors.</p> <p>Having this level of protection is critical to businesses that are engaging with sensitive customer information, financial transactions, or proprietary information in a website, thereby minimizing the risk of introducing insecurity, reputation, and downtime.</p> <h3>Web Application Firewall (WAF) and Threat Prevention</h3> <p>SiteLock integrates a cloud-based Web Application Firewall (WAF) that intercepts traffic and blocks threats before malicious requests reach the website. The WAF safeguards against <a href="https://certera.com/blog/largest-ddos-attacks-reported-till-today/">Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks</a>, bots, and other harmful activity.</p> <p>By blocking unauthorized access and filtering out attack traffic, the WAF keeps the website stable and secure for users and administrators.</p> <p>This proactive defense prevents vulnerabilities, protects valuable resources, and reduces the potential impact of a threat, so business owners can worry less and customers can continue to have a seamless visit to the website.</p> <h3>Continuous Monitoring and Alerts</h3> <p>SiteLock provides 24/7 monitoring of websites to track questionable activity, performance concerns, and threats. If any unusual activity or vulnerability is detected by the monitoring service, SiteLock will notify designated administrators of the situation so they can take action to fix the concern before any damage can occur.</p> <p><strong>Also Read:</strong> <a href="https://certera.com/blog/is-your-site-hacked-essential-steps-to-fix-or-repair-hacked-website/">Is your Site Hacked? Essential Steps to Fix or Repair Hacked Website</a></p> <p>This level of ongoing monitoring ensures a proactive approach, so threats can be fixed, not just reacted to, once a problem has already been created. Ongoing monitoring also results in quickly resolving downtime, loss of data, and ensuring the site remains trustworthy.</p> <p>Continuous monitoring also provides compliance with some security standards and industry regulations for security, reliability, and trust for visitors to visit your site at all times.</p> <h3>Improved Reputation and Customer Trust</h3> <p>By exhibiting the SiteLock trust seal on a website, businesses inform visitors that its site is secure, reliable, and safeguarded from online threats.</p> <p>This increases trustworthiness, increases trust from customers, and allows customers to engage with the website, purchase goods, and share sensitive information with confidence.</p> <p>A strong reputation for securing customers’ sensitive information can also help boost search engine rankings, lower bounce rates, and increase conversions.</p> <p>In a time when online trust impacts business success, <a href="https://certera.com/sitelock">SiteLock security</a> provides both technical protection and visible assurance in order to help its businesses maintain a positive brand image and long-term loyalty from customers.</p> <h2>Differences between SSL Certificates and SiteLock</h2> <figure> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>Aspect</strong></td> <td><strong>SSL Certificates</strong></td> <td><strong>SiteLock</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Purpose</strong></td> <td>Secures data transmission between a website and users by encrypting information.</td> <td>Protects websites from malware, hacking attempts, and vulnerabilities.</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Primary Function</strong></td> <td>Encrypts sensitive data such as login credentials, payments, and personal information.</td> <td>Scans for malware, blocks attacks, patches vulnerabilities, and monitors website activity.</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Trust Indicator</strong></td> <td>Shows a padlock icon in the browser to indicate a secure connection (HTTPS).</td> <td>Displays a trust badge on the website to signal security and credibility.</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Protection Type</strong></td> <td>Focuses on data privacy during transmission using cryptographic protocols.</td> <td>Focuses on website security by preventing attacks and detecting threats.</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Implementation</strong></td> <td>Installed on the web server and issued by a Certificate Authority (CA).</td> <td>Deployed via a cloud-based service with scanning, firewall, and monitoring tools.</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Scope of Security</strong></td> <td>Protects information exchanged between server and client only.</td> <td>Protects the entire website, including code, files, applications, and user data.</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Maintenance</strong></td> <td>Requires renewal before expiration and proper configuration.</td> <td>Provides continuous monitoring, automated malware removal, and vulnerability patching.</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Impact on Users</strong></td> <td>Ensures secure browsing and safe transactions.</td> <td>Enhances trust, prevents downtime, and keeps the website free of malicious activity.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </figure> <h2>Conclusion</h2> <p>Ensure the security of your website and digital assets with <a href="https://certera.com/">Certera’s superior SSL</a> and <a href="https://certera.com/solutions/certificate-lifecycle-management">certificate management solution</a>. Avoid outages, lower your security risk, and stay compliant – without all the work.</p> <p>Give your IT team the power of <a href="https://certera.com/solutions/pki-solutions">automation and centralized contro</a>l. Head to Certera today to protect your business, build trust with customers, and streamline your certificate management.</p> </div> <p><img decoding="async" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20132%20132'%3E%3C/svg%3E"></p> <h2> Janki Mehta</h2> <p> Janki Mehta is a passionate Cyber-Security Enthusiast who keenly monitors the latest developments in the Web/Cyber Security industry. She puts her knowledge into practice and helps web users by arming them with the necessary security measures to stay safe in the digital world.</p> </article><h2>What is an SSL Certificate?</h2><p>An SSL certificate is a digital file that verifies a website’s identity and establishes an encrypted connection between the server and a web browser.</p><p>An <a href="https://certera.com/cheap-ssl-certificates">SSL certificate</a> allows for the safe transmission of sensitive data, including usernames and passwords, payment information, or personal details, by encrypting it via cryptographic protocols such as the <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-is-ssl-tls-https/">Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol</a>.</p><p>When a site incorporates an SSL certificate, visitors to the site will see a padlock icon displayed in their browser, indicating that the connection can be trusted and is secure.</p><p>In addition to protecting sensitive information being communicated back and forth, SSL certificates provide trust between businesses and their customers. They verify that a website is affiliated with the organization it claims to represent, preventing the likelihood of impersonation and fraud.</p><p>This type of authentication builds trustworthiness, secures the connection against cyberattacks, especially <a href="https://certera.com/blog/man-in-the-middle-mitm-attacks-how-to-detect-and-prevent-it/">man-in-the-middle (MITM),</a> and is required to meet regulatory compliance in the finance, healthcare, and e-commerce industries.</p><p>In today’s digital economy, SSL certificates are no longer optional components to site safety but an <a href="https://certera.com/blog/ssl-a-must-have-security-measure-for-websites-seo/">essential layer of security</a>.</p><h2>Working Of SSL Certificates</h2><p>If a user visits a site with a URL that starts with HTTPS or clicks on a secure link, the browser will tell the website’s server its request to establish a secure connection. This is the beginning of what is called the <a href="https://certera.com/blog/ssl-tls-handshake-a-crucial-step-towards-secure-connections/">SSL/TLS handshake</a>, or how we create a secure connection for encrypted communications.</p><p>The server then sends a copy of its SSL certificate to the browser. The SSL certificate contains certain important information about the website, such as the website’s domain name, organization, issuing Certificate Authority (CA), validity period, and public key.</p><p>The browser will then check to determine if the SSL certificate is valid and trustworthy.<strong> It will determine:</strong></p><ul> <li>Whether or not the SSL certificate was issued by a <a href="https://certera.com/ssl">trusted CA</a></li> <li>If the SSL certificate was within the validity period</li> <li>Whether or not the SSL certificate is listed for the domain name</li> <li>If any of these items do not pass, the browser will indicate a warning to the user.</li> </ul><p>Next, once it has successfully validated the certificate, the browser will generate a session key (<a href="https://certera.com/blog/symmetric-vs-asymmetric-encryption-detailed-guide/">symmetric encryption key</a>) that is unique. The session key is then used to encrypt and decrypt the actual data that is being exchanged between the browser and the server.</p><p> The browser encrypts this session key using the server’s public key (the public key is contained in the SSL certificate). As the server is the only party with the relevant private key, only the intended server will be able to decode the session key.</p><h3>Step 6: Server Decrypts the Session Key</h3><p> The server receives the encrypted session key and decrypts it using the private key. Now, both the browser and server have the same secret session key for the encrypted communications.</p><p> With the session key in place, both the browser and server switch to symmetric encryption, which is faster, for encrypted and secure transfers of data. All communication, such as login details, payment information, personal details, etc., is encrypted and secure from hackers in a manner that preserves confidentiality and trust.</p><h2>Benefits Of Having an SSL Certificate</h2><h3>Data Encryption and Security</h3><p>An SSL certificate encrypts all information exchanged between a user’s browser going to and from a web server, safeguarding sensitive credentials, credit card information, and private data from being monitored, let alone captured or stolen.</p><p>Once data is sent, SSL encrypts the information in a secure, unreadable, and unusable format in transit so that if a cybercriminal were to intercept the transmission, it would remain unused and unreadable.</p><p><strong>Also Read:</strong> <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-is-https-why-its-important-for-website-and-seo/">What is HTTPS? Why it’s Important for Website and SEO</a></p><p>This high-level encryption creates a secure online environment while helping stop data breaches, fraud, or identity theft.</p><p>For businesses that manage sensitive customer information, SSL is a significant part of the cybersecurity plan to ensure their clientele with safe and secure interactions with their business while online.</p><h3>Builds Trust and Credibility</h3><p> SSL certificates offer visible indicators of trust, such as the padlock icon and HTTPS in the browser address bar. These indicators help reassure visitors that the website is valid and secure.</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong>: <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-is-ssl-and-cdn-how-cdns-improve-ssl-tls-performance/">What is SSL and CDN? How CDNs Improve SSL / TLS Performance?</a></p><p>For businesses focused on e-commerce, banking, and healthcare, trust and credibility are critical. A secure website ensures visitors feel confident and safe sharing personal or financial information that is required during an online transaction.</p><p>In contrast, websites that remain unsecured come off as untrustworthy. Browsers may display security warnings when people visit an unsecured site.</p><p>When trust is established through the use of an SSL, the user will have increased confidence in the website, the business will have improved credibility and reputation, and conversion rates and customer retention will improve as well.</p><h3>Improves Search Engine Rankings</h3><p>Search engines (typically Google) favor secure sites. Any website utilizing agricultural supply chain management will be given a boost in ratings over an unsecured state and be much more visible to people searching for products and services relevant to business management.</p><p><strong>Also Read:</strong> <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-is-https-why-its-important-for-website-and-seo/">What is HTTPS? Why it’s Important for Website and SEO</a></p><p>SEO, in this case, is a competitive advantage that will generate organic traffic, visibility to the business brand, and to outside engagement.</p><p>In addition, Google flags any unsecured site as “Not Secure,” which will deter visitors from clicking on the unsecured site and will once again lower click rates.</p><p>When using an SSL, businesses can not only ensure/protection of users but also have a better overall digital presence. Secure sites will normally perform better because Google favors SSL sites toward the top of search engine rankings.</p><h3>Compliance with Regulations</h3><p>Many businesses and industries have requirements for websites to use encryption to comply with data protection regulations such as <a href="https://certera.com/blog/pci-dss-4-0-compliance-everything-to-know-about-new-compliance-checklist/">PCI DSS</a>, GDPR, and HIPAA. An SSL Certificate enables websites to encrypt sensitive data and handle that data in compliance with legally acceptable ways.</p><p>Compliance reduces any legal and financial risk, protects customer data, and minimizes the risks of fines associated with mishandling sensitive data.</p><p>For any business that handles payments, health information, or any other personal information, SSL is not a matter of choice, but a matter of requirement.</p><p>Organizations can allay fears related to data privacy and compliance while they use SSL, which minimizes business and personal risk for the organization and its customers, if they later become liable for the business’s lack of data privacy and compliance.</p><h2>What is SiteLock?</h2><p>SiteLock is a cloud-based website security solution that keeps websites safe from cyber attacks, viruses, malware, DDoS attacks, vulnerabilities, or data breaches.</p><p>The first part of the <a href="https://certera.com/sitelock">SiteLock solution</a> consists of proactively scanning your websites for malicious code, identifying suspicious activity, and exposing vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit.</p><p><strong>Also Read:</strong> <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-is-sitelock-role-of-sitelock-in-website-security/">What is SiteLock? Role of SiteLock in Website Security</a></p><p>The SiteLock service offers daily malware scanning, patches vulnerabilities, blacklists monitoring, etc., so that a business can maintain a secure online presence without constant manual maintenance.</p><p>Apart from threat detection, SiteLock provides both preventive and corrective measures for uninterrupted protection. It can <a href="https://certera.com/services/malware-scanning-removal">automatically remove malware</a>, <a href="https://certera.com/services/vulnerability-scanning-patching">protect against vulnerabilitie</a>s like SQL injections and cross-site scripting (XSS), and offer a <a href="https://certera.com/services/web-application-firewall-waf">web application firewall (WAF)</a> to block harmful traffic.</p><p>SiteLock even includes performance optimization and reputation management features to help not only protect the website, but also create user trust and enhance search visibility.</p><p>This makes it a valuable all-in-one solution for businesses that want to secure a website and have their customers feel confident about their visit. </p><h2>How SiteLock Security Works?</h2><p>SiteLock initiates the process by scanning the website every day for vulnerabilities, <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-is-malware-how-to-prevent-malware-attacks/">malware</a>, suspicious code, and security holes. SiteLock scans for threats like SQL Injections, XSS, and backdoors that a hacker might exploit. </p><p> If malware is detected, SiteLock removes it automatically or alerts the website administrator so that an action can be taken quickly. It prevents malware code from compromising site visitors’ security, from damaging search visibility, or from being blacklisted. </p><p>SiteLock utilizes a <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-is-web-application-firewall-waf/">Web Application Firewall (WAF)</a> to block malicious traffic targeting your site. It will block bots, hackers, and DDoS attacks before they reach your site while allowing real users access without any inconvenience. </p><p>SiteLock shields your website from attack by <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-is-vulnerability-management-process-assessment-and-best-practices/">patching vulnerabilitie</a>s through the repair of weak code and outdated scripts. This minimizes the risk of future cyberattacks while remaining compliant with security best practices.</p><p>SiteLock monitors your website for suspicious activity on an ongoing basis. Once the website experiences unusual behavior, potential hacking attempts, or checking for certificate issues, the system will immediately alert site administrators of <a href="https://certera.com/blog/what-are-hidden-website-threats-how-to-detect-and-prevent-hidden-threats/">potential threats and weaknesses</a>.</p><p>Finally, SiteLock will display a trust seal badge on your site. This badge signifies to visitors that the site is secured, thereby building trust with customers, improving conversion rates, and establishing an improved online reputation overall. </p><h2>Benefits Of Having SiteLock Security</h2><h3>Protection From Malware and Hacks</h3><p>SiteLock runs continuous scans on websites for malware, vulnerabilities, and suspicious code to <a href="https://certera.com/blog/types-of-cyber-security-attacks-and-solution-to-prevent-them/">protect websites from cyber attacks</a>.</p><p>It can detect many types of attacks, such as, SQL injections, cross-site scripting (XSS), backdoors, and ransomware that could steal data or disrupt website operations.</p><p><strong>Also Read:</strong> <a href="https://certera.com/blog/rdos-attacks-explained-protecting-your-business-from-ransom-threats/">RDoS Attacks Explained: Protecting Your Business from Ransom Threats</a></p><p>They can even proactively remove malware and potential hacks to ensure that unauthorized access is blocked and traffic to their website is protected.</p><p>For businesses engaging with customers and exchanging sensitive customer information, siteLock provides security and learning from malware and cyber attacks to ensure a safe experience for visitors.</p><p>Having this level of protection is critical to businesses that are engaging with sensitive customer information, financial transactions, or proprietary information in a website, thereby minimizing the risk of introducing insecurity, reputation, and downtime.</p><h3>Web Application Firewall (WAF) and Threat Prevention</h3><p>SiteLock integrates a cloud-based Web Application Firewall (WAF) that intercepts traffic and blocks threats before malicious requests reach the website. The WAF safeguards against <a href="https://certera.com/blog/largest-ddos-attacks-reported-till-today/">Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks</a>, bots, and other harmful activity.</p><p>By blocking unauthorized access and filtering out attack traffic, the WAF keeps the website stable and secure for users and administrators.</p><p>This proactive defense prevents vulnerabilities, protects valuable resources, and reduces the potential impact of a threat, so business owners can worry less and customers can continue to have a seamless visit to the website.</p><h3>Continuous Monitoring and Alerts</h3><p>SiteLock provides 24/7 monitoring of websites to track questionable activity, performance concerns, and threats. If any unusual activity or vulnerability is detected by the monitoring service, SiteLock will notify designated administrators of the situation so they can take action to fix the concern before any damage can occur.</p><p><strong>Also Read:</strong> <a href="https://certera.com/blog/is-your-site-hacked-essential-steps-to-fix-or-repair-hacked-website/">Is your Site Hacked? Essential Steps to Fix or Repair Hacked Website</a></p><p>This level of ongoing monitoring ensures a proactive approach, so threats can be fixed, not just reacted to, once a problem has already been created. Ongoing monitoring also results in quickly resolving downtime, loss of data, and ensuring the site remains trustworthy.</p><p>Continuous monitoring also provides compliance with some security standards and industry regulations for security, reliability, and trust for visitors to visit your site at all times.</p><h3>Improved Reputation and Customer Trust</h3><p>By exhibiting the SiteLock trust seal on a website, businesses inform visitors that its site is secure, reliable, and safeguarded from online threats.</p><p>This increases trustworthiness, increases trust from customers, and allows customers to engage with the website, purchase goods, and share sensitive information with confidence.</p><p>A strong reputation for securing customers’ sensitive information can also help boost search engine rankings, lower bounce rates, and increase conversions.</p><p>In a time when online trust impacts business success, <a href="https://certera.com/sitelock">SiteLock security</a> provides both technical protection and visible assurance in order to help its businesses maintain a positive brand image and long-term loyalty from customers.</p><h2>Differences between SSL Certificates and SiteLock</h2><figure> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>Aspect</strong></td> <td><strong>SSL Certificates</strong></td> <td><strong>SiteLock</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Purpose</strong></td> <td>Secures data transmission between a website and users by encrypting information.</td> <td>Protects websites from malware, hacking attempts, and vulnerabilities.</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Primary Function</strong></td> <td>Encrypts sensitive data such as login credentials, payments, and personal information.</td> <td>Scans for malware, blocks attacks, patches vulnerabilities, and monitors website activity.</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Trust Indicator</strong></td> <td>Shows a padlock icon in the browser to indicate a secure connection (HTTPS).</td> <td>Displays a trust badge on the website to signal security and credibility.</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Protection Type</strong></td> <td>Focuses on data privacy during transmission using cryptographic protocols.</td> <td>Focuses on website security by preventing attacks and detecting threats.</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Implementation</strong></td> <td>Installed on the web server and issued by a Certificate Authority (CA).</td> <td>Deployed via a cloud-based service with scanning, firewall, and monitoring tools.</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Scope of Security</strong></td> <td>Protects information exchanged between server and client only.</td> <td>Protects the entire website, including code, files, applications, and user data.</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Maintenance</strong></td> <td>Requires renewal before expiration and proper configuration.</td> <td>Provides continuous monitoring, automated malware removal, and vulnerability patching.</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Impact on Users</strong></td> <td>Ensures secure browsing and safe transactions.</td> <td>Enhances trust, prevents downtime, and keeps the website free of malicious activity.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </figure><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Ensure the security of your website and digital assets with <a href="https://certera.com/">Certera’s superior SSL</a> and <a href="https://certera.com/solutions/certificate-lifecycle-management">certificate management solution</a>. Avoid outages, lower your security risk, and stay compliant – without all the work.</p><p>Give your IT team the power of <a href="https://certera.com/solutions/pki-solutions">automation and centralized contro</a>l. Head to Certera today to protect your business, build trust with customers, and streamline your certificate management.</p><div class="spu-placeholder" style="display:none"></div><div class="addtoany_share_save_container addtoany_content addtoany_content_bottom"><div class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_20 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://securityboulevard.com/2025/11/ssl-certificate-and-sitelock-security-which-one-do-you-need/" data-a2a-title="SSL Certificate And SiteLock Security: Which One Do You Need?"><a class="a2a_button_twitter" href="https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/twitter?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsecurityboulevard.com%2F2025%2F11%2Fssl-certificate-and-sitelock-security-which-one-do-you-need%2F&linkname=SSL%20Certificate%20And%20SiteLock%20Security%3A%20Which%20One%20Do%20You%20Need%3F" title="Twitter" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a><a class="a2a_button_linkedin" href="https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/linkedin?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsecurityboulevard.com%2F2025%2F11%2Fssl-certificate-and-sitelock-security-which-one-do-you-need%2F&linkname=SSL%20Certificate%20And%20SiteLock%20Security%3A%20Which%20One%20Do%20You%20Need%3F" title="LinkedIn" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a><a class="a2a_button_facebook" href="https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/facebook?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsecurityboulevard.com%2F2025%2F11%2Fssl-certificate-and-sitelock-security-which-one-do-you-need%2F&linkname=SSL%20Certificate%20And%20SiteLock%20Security%3A%20Which%20One%20Do%20You%20Need%3F" title="Facebook" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a><a class="a2a_button_reddit" href="https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/reddit?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsecurityboulevard.com%2F2025%2F11%2Fssl-certificate-and-sitelock-security-which-one-do-you-need%2F&linkname=SSL%20Certificate%20And%20SiteLock%20Security%3A%20Which%20One%20Do%20You%20Need%3F" title="Reddit" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a><a class="a2a_button_email" href="https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/email?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsecurityboulevard.com%2F2025%2F11%2Fssl-certificate-and-sitelock-security-which-one-do-you-need%2F&linkname=SSL%20Certificate%20And%20SiteLock%20Security%3A%20Which%20One%20Do%20You%20Need%3F" title="Email" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save addtoany_share" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share"></a></div></div><p class="syndicated-attribution">*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from <a href="https://certera.com/blog/">EncryptedFence by Certera – Web &amp; Cyber Security Blog</a> authored by <a href="https://securityboulevard.com/author/0/" title="Read other posts by Janki Mehta">Janki Mehta</a>. Read the original post at: <a href="https://certera.com/blog/ssl-certificate-and-sitelock-security-which-one-do-you-need/">https://certera.com/blog/ssl-certificate-and-sitelock-security-which-one-do-you-need/</a> </p>